Pinch the tail and suck the head

All the water in my body is from

the Gulf of Mexico 

Generations back my people

Came here from France by way

of Canada settled in Louisiana

I’m the first to be born in Texas 

Funny how I wasn’t even 

born on the Gulf Coast 

But the Gulf is in the blood

we left on the beach 

the summer my sister 

got glass in her foot 

I don’t remember Austin 

But I remember dumping 

Sand out of my tennis shoes

washing salt from my hair

seashells in a plastic bucket

How the water felt on my skin 

Approximately one day a year

Galveston’s water was blue That

was never the day we went It was

always too crowded We went

when Mississippi runoff Made it

look like chocolate milk 

Maybe my sister loves salty foods

Because she swallowed salt water

Maybe I love crawfish so much

Because I turned bright red When

I got too much sun 

Summer tans are a delicate balance

My fourth grade field trip was

To see an old battleship 

I ran around inside it until 

The teachers called us for lunch In

our screen printed school t-shirts

with Exxon Mobile on the back 

My culture was strings of beads

Tossed off glittering gaudy floats

Yelling throw me something mister

Over school marching bands 

The freshest seafood you could get

A short drive from the beach 

Saltwater air smells like falling in love

Locking pinkies nervous laughter

Sharing fried shrimp baskets 

Sun bleached fishtail braids

Done by deft fingers of teenage Girls

exchanging longing looks 

When I go I wish to return to the coast

And let the seagulls scoop me up Like

french fries off my plate 

I’ve seen Spain the south of France

Everywhere is beautiful in its own right

Everywhere isn’t here

Peyton McFarlain is a young creative hailing originally from Houston, Texas and currently based in Fort Worth, Texas. Their work draws on their southern roots and passion for history and nature to speak to the heart of something human within all walks of life. They have previously published a short fiction piece in the North Texas Review. They enjoy writing by hand and by typewriter to make every step of the process slower, more thoughtful, and intentional.