Lost at Sea Kayla Perry ‘22 First Place Winner: Poetry As the sun began to rise just above the distant horizon, I lay still, drifting along the vast ocean Floating in abyss, yearning for the day I will reach land again. Night falls, as the moonlight illuminates the tranquil waves Gleaming stars shine bright throughout the sky Time goes on, and the sun rises again A vicious cycle it is, being trapped in the oceans circumference Day after day, watching the sun rise and sun set, Everything seems the same Today is different The wind has a brisk tendency, rocking the boat back and forth A distinct scent fills the air Rain, the gentle tapping sound begins to strengthen as I approach the downpour The joyful sky quickly turns to a fury Clouds darken as blinding bolts of lightning strike the ocean’s surface Terror has struck Vigorous gusts of wind rip my innocent boat to shreds The howling sea of chaos attacks what little strength I have left The ongoing storm ceases to subside I close my eyes and cry out to God, When will I be out of this terror, this horror you have put me through I want to give up, I can’t keep on going As I open my eyes a dim beam of light shines through the fog of darkness surrounding me The waves calm down to a serene pattern Peace at last as the ocean lulls me to sleep As the harsh sun awakens me from my slumber I hear the sound of distant chatter Looking up ahead, I saw the unimaginable I saw a lush green island, filled with crowded people My journey on the water has come to an end I thought to myself would I ever do it again The journey, the storm, the adventure all becomes a part of you, A part of your life But what if you could turn the storm away? What if you could simply decline its invitation? What if all the struggle and all the hurt could go away? Or if given the option, would you do it all again to be the person you are today?
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