For You, I Wish Your Way
I anger you; you flail your arms, gulp water as you struggle to stay afloat. You see me standing on the ocean’s edge, holding the life preserver that has saved you so many times before. I watch the current pull you farther from safety. You reach your arms to me, but I remain still. You must move now, I can no longer hold you up, so hold my words close. Remain alert, the waters can change at any time. Swim with the current as much as possible and let its energy move you. When it gets choppy, swim harder; when you are too tired to swim another stroke, swim your hardest. When you hit a rip tide, stay calm. Watch out for sharks and barracudas. Your heart pounds and you tread water, not moving from your place. But rest assured the ocean is grand and full of beauty. It can take you around the world and back. The salt of its waters will heal your wounds and the fish from its core will nourish your body. If you trust and relax, you will float much of your journey, you will see an array of beauty in color and form. Remember to swim like the dolphins jumping through the air, glide like a sea turtle, dream like a mermaid. Over the years, spend time in a school of fish, swim solo like a beluga whale. You see me standing on the water’s edge holding a life preserver and you are confused as to why I do not toss it your way. Know my arms tremble in resistance. You are frightened and so am I. I yearn to swallow the seven seas so you can walk to safety; I yearn to battle every creature known to the ocean’s water. I must let you go now and wish you your way, but of all my words, hold these words closest: I stand apart from you now, watching from the ocean’s edge, but I am prepared, and if you lose your way, I will swim around the globe in hunt for you. This I promise.
