“Dominic Berry’s poem is a baptism for our modern age. The poem is snatched and breathless with a sense of the sea’s danger in phrases like ‘slash/sharp waves.’ The poet conjures an atmosphere of breathlessness and screams. He is fighting against the very elements for his freedom. The sea pulls him inexorably.” – Jane Burn, guest editor.
Into The Sea
Worries, earth off cliffs, crumbling to ocean.
Worries erode
then salt winds hook nostrils and tug.
Excited feet quicken across smooth pebbles and
slash
sharp waves.
Cupped hands break surface,
full breath, head under.
Gull screams smothered as ears flood fill,
eyes sting thrill,
thighs seaweed slap.
I dive.
Breath and body release beneath air, beneath time,
it is not Monday here,
Monday means nothing.
Beneath my normal life where I am anchored to the dry
I can swim without names,
full breath, head under.
Dominic Berry is an internationally award-winning performance poet. He was 2017 Glastonbury Festival Poet in Residence, winner of 2017 Saboteur ‘Best Spoken Word Artist’ award, and has toured his verse across USA, Canada, India, New Zealand, Australia, South America and Europe. His other awards include winning New York’s Nuyorican Poetry Cafe Slam, UK Superheroes of Slam and, as of 2020, eight Arts Council England Grants for the Arts awards. He is currently touring two works; his adult comedy verse, ‘I Can Make You Fail Slightly Less’, and his hilarious family show, ‘When Trolls Try to Eat Your Goldfish’.
Celebrating Change 