River

Art by Phoebe Cunningham, MS4

I saw a small opening between 
The pines, oaks, and sugar maples
And decided to leave the hiking trail, 
Entering a humid and lush forest. 
The air was heavy and suffocating, 
But the breeze was a sweet embrace;
I walked deeper into the foliage, 
Where the birds sang an ephemeral melody. 
The crushing of leaves under my boots grew louder, 
While the chatter from the trail was getting fainter. 
I heard the rumbling of water 
And walked towards it. 

When I got there, 
I stood by the riverbed and saw my reflection 
In crystal water – the purest I’ve seen. 
I realized that the sun was setting;
What a risk, I thought
Who would help me in the dark? 

What is fear in the face of discovery, though?
Instead of turning back, 
I jumped into the turbulent waves, 
Succumbing to the water tumbling over me.
I was tossed over, 
Submerged, 
Pushed afloat, 
Thrust below 
And back up. 
I was finally stable, floating swiftly under the moonlight. 

I couldn’t see the end of the river, 
But that’s not what I had jumped in for – 
I wanted to learn how to swim 
And see what lies below the surface

Haya Alkiswani

This author does not have any more posts.