Winter

a Poem by Raquel Swann

Some find solace by the

peaceful ocean

Blah. Not I. Not me. No way.

Coarse sand entering every

crevice of your body

Noisy scavengers

hurling their bodies

as they descend upon

the scraps that fall from

the mouths of children.

Wading in the water,

with subtle anxiety about

a shark’s bite,

a jellyfish’s sting,

or perhaps the gnawing

claws of a wayward crab.

I picture myself elsewhere.

I haven’t found my place,

yet it is so vivid in my mind.

I’m miles above sea level

in a canyon made of rock

within a cabin by a frozen lake.

White capped mountains surround me

and there are no tracks in the

freshly fallen snow.

I stare out the window

mesmerized by patterns

of flakes falling

carelessly to the ground.

It somehow reminds me

of how I got there.

I didn’t follow their rules,

I wouldn’t succumb to

others telling me it’s impossible.

The fire is roaring,

and the temperature is

perfect.

I’m not alone anymore.

I have the winter.

It was always there

waiting for me

to arrive.

I finally feel alive again.

The ocean can never make

me feel like you can.

Never.