My slumber occupied with images of the sea
My waking thoughts about its magnificent water
I wonder what adventures it holds for me
What excitement, what invigorating pursuits awaits me
Haven lived all my life on boring land
I yearn for pleasures the ocean offers
Today, I stand here by this littered beach
Gazing with longing up ahead
I am drunk from the water’s heady smell
The wind runs its fingers through my hair
Coyly offering an irresistible invitation
The playful waves leave me fascinated
I long to be one with this wonderful world
I place my big toe into the water
The restless water laps at my leg
Abruptly wet, cold and uncomfortable
Now I see the sea with new eyes
The waves are violent not romantic
The winds are fierce not cuddling
The water is bleak not quixotic
This frightening world would devour me
Consume me and spit me out
It has no rules, there are no rubrics
This daunting water is no place for me
This is not the sea of my many dreams
I’ll return to the land, I understand it
Off I go, back to the land, prodigal daughter
Quitter or no, there I’ll be safe
Safe and dry on my familiar, dreary land.
Written by: Ummi Bukar
Edited by: Kukogho Iruesiri Samson
