“rough waters” by Ashleigh-Rae Thomas

February 17, 2026

Poetry Pause is the League of Canadian Poets’ daily poetry dispatch. Read “rough waters” by Ashleigh-Rae Thomas.

rough waters

By Ashleigh-Rae Thomas

i love the sea

and how it’s vastness overwhelms my mind

and the roughness of its waves

and the force of its rip tides

and the burn of the salt in my eyes

and the animals it harbours

that bite or thrash or pierce or sting.

sometimes

I wonder

how could i love and need something

that scares me so deeply

and doesn’t know how to love me back?

i think

it’s violence reminds a younger me of home.

Ashleigh-Rae is a Black, queer writer and poet based in Toronto.

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