Where It Began
AUGUST CHAFFIN
He was five, his father died, & I was in Monterey
counting the dead walruses along the shores.
So we are both familiar with dying. Both with
fallen giants, many mighty felled giants.
Counting the dead walruses along the shore,
with a chocolate fudge lollipop staining my mouth,
amongst fallen giants, many mighty felled giants,
I was only half their size.
With a chocolate fudge ice-cream staining his mouth, yes,
I imagine we both stood the same way, afraid &
only half the size
of those walruses, of that grief, crushed under each.
I imagine we both stood the same way, afraid,
shivering against the same Bay wind, unable to lift
those walruses we would learn eventually to bear,
that year his father died, when we were both in Monterey.
AUGUST CHAFFIN (they/them) is a writer, actor, and educator based in the Twin Cities. Their writing can be found in Arboreal Literary Magazine and Ignatian Literary Magazine. August can be found teaching at Children’s Theatre Company, the Guthrie Theater, and schools across Minnesota. They are currently an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota/Guthrie BFA Actor Training Program with a minor in Creative Writing.
