white flag, black flag

he lived with his hand permanently
on the throttle, like it would kill him
if he let it go.

existence passed in flashes, his alcohol soaked dreams
indistinguishable from reality—he was a victim of his divorced mind
chalking up his raucous leanings to the drink
he feigned playing dress up, it was not he
who committed such wicked acts, it was his
debaucherous pirate personality. his maritime haunts did not belong to him,
who he was at sea was not who he really was.
when confronted with vast, endlessness of the ocean
who wouldn’t go mad?

Catherine Shonack is a writer from Los Angeles who obtained her master’s degree in playwriting and dramaturgy at the University of Glasgow. Her poems have been featured on the Kirkstall Poetry Trail and the LOS ANGELES zine, and her radio play ‘How to Drive in the Dark‘ was performed at ChapelFM as part of their Writing on Air Festival in 2024. She doesn’t believe in coincidences, superpowers, or being afraid of falling, which, according to her ice skate coach, is the only way to learn.