Written by Owen Dan Luo (Medicine, Class of 2023)
We stood
Relaxed
Reassured
Under the sun’s dazzling rays
Toes embraced by soft sand
Shells crushed underfoot
Into the shallows we dashed
Into the waves we splashed
Yet our gaze drifted
Into the alluring distance
Where the sky met the glimmering waves
Beyond the edge of the horizon
With the promise of mysterious worlds hidden from view
To these familiar shores we were compelled to bid adieu
We surrendered
To their siren call
Plunged in as curious fish nibbling our feet
While the coral maintained their watchful vigil
Like sentinels of the deep
Surrounded on all sides by cool water
We were no longer grounded
But with our feet far from the bottom of this sea
Were we any more free?
Soon we lost our aquatic companions
Alone in an endless blue expanse
Pulled to and fro
Swept by currents
Tossed by tides
Turned by waves
At its mercy
We were strong-armed by an invisible force
Along a seemingly preordained nautical course
It was cold
We were shivering
Teeth chattering
Lips bluing
Without respite
In this tempest
Yet we continued to tread water,
Without a destination in mind
Carried by an inexorable current
Having left wanting to make our mark
We are now left to search aimlessly for landmarks
But there is a sign
In the distance
There lies a single ray of sunshine.