The Progression of a Cavity in Chlorine is sweet in the way all summers pretend to be and biting with the reflexive nature of any weary jaw. It is a collection of waiting, of postcards unsent, of imagined escapes and breath held under water. It is a confessional circling a swimming pool drain.
the progression of a cavity in chlorine
about theo
Theo Ryan is a writer currently based in Tennessee, USA. His two primary motivations in life are building community and finding joy.
His work has been recognized by the National YoungArts Foundation, featured in MuseManifesto magazine, and will hopefully become available to access in more locations soon. Maybe one day he will decide once and for all whether he prefers to write in ballpoint or gel ink.
this is the version / of everything / where nothing / is the end of the world. / it’s all the careful outlawed high / of drawn breath / & stars that only manage to shine / spit-slick. / here, the sun rises / & it yellows / the cut of the sky / & you switch classes / & the world keeps spinning / you, arms flayed out / fish on the dock, spit-scaled. / you remember / what it is to / crawl into place / & ignore it to kick / under water, / saliva bridging the shiniest parts / of your gums. / here, the seaboard collapses. / you swim to float / to swallow that wet curse / of receding tides.