“Scientists tell us that the heart of a
blue whale is so large a human can tuck
themselves neatly inside of its arteries,
that its heartbeat can be heard from up
to two miles away. They use words like
miraculous and incredible to describe
it. Slice it open and see it shine like a blood
ruby. It is its own city. A moon, even. Its
own world. We would need a map to find
our way to the other side. A whale washes
up on the shore and we are careful to
separate the ribs from the rest of the body,
spread them out like a fan on the beach.
The spine we take for ourselves, but the
heart is left behind. It becomes a beehive,
a shell, somewhere to go when it rains.
We listen hard for an echoing heartbeat.
We ready our maps and flashlights for the
long journey back. Weeks later, during a
flood, children’s faces peek out of the
central artery. They promise to write.
They promise to come back.”
- Kristina H., “Whale Heart” (via fleurishes)
blue whale is so large a human can tuck
themselves neatly inside of its arteries,
that its heartbeat can be heard from up
to two miles away. They use words like
miraculous and incredible to describe
it. Slice it open and see it shine like a blood
ruby. It is its own city. A moon, even. Its
own world. We would need a map to find
our way to the other side. A whale washes
up on the shore and we are careful to
separate the ribs from the rest of the body,
spread them out like a fan on the beach.
The spine we take for ourselves, but the
heart is left behind. It becomes a beehive,
a shell, somewhere to go when it rains.
We listen hard for an echoing heartbeat.
We ready our maps and flashlights for the
long journey back. Weeks later, during a
flood, children’s faces peek out of the
central artery. They promise to write.
They promise to come back.”
- Kristina H., “Whale Heart” (via fleurishes)