Untitled Poem (By Nicole Zummar)

UNTITLED

by: Nicole Zummar

I miss it. 

I miss the breeze upon the face,
The smell of salt clogging my nose
And the wildlife in my eyes.

I miss the cattails shooting up,
And the mangroves' roots
Tangling into my kayak.

I miss the feel of the rippling waves under me--
The only thing that moved in that land of peace.

But wait--
Its not the only thing.
Look beneath the surface,
Look at the shooting sprouts move,
Look at the ridges in the water.

You hear that?
Hear the rustling of the leaves,
Hear the lapping water,
Hear the birds crow and sing.

It's a quiet wonderland.
It's my dreams being freed,
It's the vastness of the world
In a place so hidden,
So misunderstood.

There's no need to lecture about history or science or biology.
Because all the history I need to know
Is there before my eyes,
In the green and brown and blue
Holding the weight of human greed--
And awe.

It's a heart-wrenching land,
A place to fall in love--
Or rid yourself of it.
A land made to test your soul,
To break your armor,
To set you free.

Welcome to the Everglades.