Novio Kareem

I return to your sandy shore,

staring out at the horizon.

Nestled stoically above the depth and darkness of your waters.

One thousand shades of blue, I breathe you in, and out.

Your soothing winds caressing my skin,

leaving the scent of salt and freedom in my hair.

As I close my eyes and listen for your calls,

you whisper to me, drawing me in closer.

Waves lapping at my toes, washing over me with an overwhelming nostalgia.

I am reminded of time passing, as you dance your never-ending dance.

I see the little girl who fell in love with you,

who splashed in your waves, tracing your shores from end to end.

Her body covered in sand and salty sea, laughing wholeheartedly with wild abandon.

This constant ebb and flow of life, emulated by your waters,

In the swell and crash of your waves, I will always come back to you.

To find solace on your shore, no matter where I find myself.

To throw myself into your embrace, burrowed in your abode.

A ritual of returning—the innate desire to come home,

In this ever-changing form, my body, my flesh, and bones, my womanhood.

Reflected in you, is each stage of my being: who I was, who I am, who I will be.