I walk the ocean floor,
thin as a bone knife,
slice through
the sun’s fractured radiance
toward a narrow crevasse,
glimpse a split second of
blue.
Climbing out is easy
Unweighted
my body is only a memory.
Nimble as a crazy needle
I weave in and out
of piles of ice.
The astonishing air
feathers me.
I am newly naked.
Skeleton Woman Walks the Ocean Floor by Annie Jacobsen. Inspired by The Magic Drum. Illustration by Michelle Tocher
When you read the story of Skeleton Woman in “The Magic Drum,” what piece of the story would you would want to flesh out? The story only gives us the barest bones. Find a scene from the story and say everything you see. Use all your senses. Why is this an important scene for you?