the sailor waves the signal flags
surrounding himself with the multicoloured letters of the word love

he doesn't know he's hiv-positive

falling onto the deck
the letters form a line

the sailor throws ropes around them and leads them to the hold
to show them to the photographs of his lovers

they walk without looking at one another
like how animals in times of drought walk to be watered

the pacific ocean rolls down its own cheek

Translation: Ainsley Morse