Raised on an island
With family and friends.
Surrounded by a vast ocean
That few tried to comprehend.
On occasion, my father
Tried to show me how to swim.
I never saw another
Go in the water besides him.
My father would go off
In the ocean for weeks.
He seemed to enjoy it but
Everyone else thought it bleak.
One day on the edge of the beach
Enjoying the water rush against my feet
I was pulled out in an undertow
Far away from land was the first I felt complete.
The water engulfed me.
Encouraged, I swam farther away from shore.
I found truth in the water
And could go back no more.
Sometimes I'd start to sink,
Reaching towards the sky I'd fight.
However, once submerged under
I saw the truth through sight.
All these caverns
Unexplored.
Fish and creatures
Amazed me more.
Just then, my body shook me
Violently towards the surface.
I couldn't stay under water
I hadn't been able to adjust.
I needed to evolve myself
To create my own gills.
I didn't know how;
I couldn't acquire my will.
Someone surfaced
Right next to me.
Shared the secret
Showed me the sea.
My friends came by
On boat frequently.
Too scared to join
The land they couldn't leave.
I saw their strength
I knew they could swim.
I hoped they would come
So they could finally begin.
Copyright �Julie Holmes