The cliffs were once stoic and shoulder-broad
Lauded by the deep ocean below for
Nursing fossils in their stone arms
And wearing time like armor.
But now they falter, for even cliffs erode over time
Ankle kisses from the ocean build to threats
And the limestone crumbles
And the body wanes
This poem really captures how even the strongest things can be slowly changed by gentle persistence. The metaphor of the ocean’s ‘ankle kisses’ turning into threats is both beautiful and unsettling.