An Old Friend’s Embrace

Javene Skyers-Shaw

My feet take on a life of their own and I fly
Toes slipping in and out of warm golden grains
Trying to keep me on shore
But nothing can deter me
From greeting an old friend
And we finally embrace, the salt of my tears
Blending with the salt of hers
She understands
All the hurts and aches
And when the crying begins in earnest
The waves lap gently around me
Soothing the rough edges of my pain
I forget to be cautious
The warnings of my mother slip away
“She is every bit as dangerous as kind
Never forget that while there”
In a mere moment my feet have lost purchase
Panic sets in and I remember
I cannot swim
But my old friend is feeling kind today
And soon I am grounded again
My shoulders still their shaking
And my eyes open to see her undulating colors
Always shifting, ever changing
She reminds me that nothing is stagnant
Or too permanent that cannot be washed away
Made anew or even refreshed
The sun lends her extra warmth and I settle deeper
Into the motherly embrace she offers
Head barely above water but feet firmly planted
As I allow her to wash my worries away

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Javene Skyers-Shaw
Javene Skyers-Shaw is an avid reader and a writer coming into her own. Poetry is Javene's first love and fantasy books a close second.