my husband and i kayaked through the
main groves
on turks and caicos island
paddling our plastic boats against
the currents
and inevitably being pulled by the
lapping waves,
like the kissable freckle on my right
bum cheek
that the doctor looked at with concern –
snipped off – and pronounced precancerous.

i applied sunscreen thickly to my body
wary of the freckles the sun might dot on my fair skin
and my husband:
“save some of the sunscreen
since we have to do that g******
kayaking trip”
and
“i'd rather sit on the beach than have to
paddle myself to nowhere.”

red mangrove, like all other plants,
needs fresh water.
so it shunts all the salt from the ocean
to one leaf.

that yellow one. it looks poisoned –
like the mole on my bum,
irregular in color and shape and size –
and it flutters onto the water, weakened
by alkaline poison.

two months later
i get another mole removed
and as the doctor injects anesthetic into
my forearm
i wonder how i will sign
the divorce papers
so numb.