journey while traveling

By Ilana Drake

My piece “journey while traveling” was inspired by my high school experiences and transformation into a young adult. This poem starts with me as a young teen and progresses into my exploration of adulthood.

i. courage

i used to swim in a sea of fear
dreams floating on the blue surface
but i picked my fins up 
and held my breath

my eyes swelled 
like the times my body burst
with shattered fins and fragile bones
yet, i kept swimming 

i swam in circles
fins flailing as waves crash over
i couldn’t reach the coral reefs
so i switched directions

the bluefish watched me 
the clownfish gossiped
the angelfish looked away
while i flipped like a fish shouldn’t flip.

ii. flip

see the world upside down
and you realize that 
the sea might not be the world
because the birds swoop down

their yellow beaks skim the water
my home broken into
fish trying to swim down near me
hiding in the reefs

i learned to dash
i tried to sprint 
but then i realized our eyes never met.

iii. together

those dark brown eyes
glimmered in the water
right above me

my small mouth gaped
eyes wide as the ocean is deep
except, i found hope

tranquil waters shaken by hurricanes off the coast
thunder that lasts for days
rain that keeps pouring

drip   drop   drip

halcyon sands to the east
troubled times to the west
we start the new day together.

Process

My piece began with exploring the ocean and delving into perspectives not usually seen in poems. As I look back, I realize that this poem is one of the most vulnerable pieces I have written. My high school journey and experiences are symbolized through the poem’s words and meaning. While the title “journey while traveling” may seem intuitive, the words on the page speak to me as I embark on a new journey, leaving high school behind and moving into uncharted territory.