You can taste the water. She did.
Limp left leg supports her weight,
not to mention the infant that clings to her breast,
malnourished and weak.
With her left arm around the little one, holding him tight,
she slowly kneels down at the stream.
Right hand clings to the white bowl
as it scoops the liquid silence into itself.
Her infant first. He eagerly sips.
Doesn’t taste good, but he’s too young to know any better.
Her turn. Surviving had never been harder,
but she tasted the water.
You can touch the earth. He did.
His men, arms at the ready, invade
after unsuccessful attempts
at resolving the conflict diplomatically.
The land was unclaimed, and worth a fortune.
Peace kept it asleep
until the drums of war awoke its aching body.
The General dismounts,
takes a moment to scan his men,
kneels down, extends his arm
and presses his hand firmly on the ground.
He lets the soil stain his fingers;
moist with the cleansed foundation,
but also thick, with the blood of his enemies,
now on his hand.
He begins to cry;
the rivalry between him and his brother
did not have to come to this,
but he touched the earth.
You can feel the wind. They did.
Walking along the shore of a vacant beach,
he asks to see her. She’s confused.
He strips naked, right in front of her.
She giggles. He smiles back.
She’s always hated her body,
convinced by the voices in her head
that she’s ugly, overweight, and uninteresting.
Alas, she closes her eyes and strips. Her eyes open.
He’s still smiling, even more so now.
His gaze turns towards the ocean.
They start to run,
but it’s not colliding with the water
that ignites their soul;
it is the wind, raising their spirits
and carrying them as they leap into the cold.
They were terrified,
but they felt the wind.
As for the fire? That is up to you.
When your heart beats for someone so fast
you lose all spatial perception,
your soul is igniting.
When the acrophobic young adult
takes the leap with a bungee cord
strapped to her leg,
she’s never felt so alive.
Love is fire. Fear is fire.
There’s a phoenix laying dormant inside you,
and it waits;
not to be burned alive,
but rather burned to life,
and it yearns for the fire.
In essence,
You can taste the water,
touch the earth,
and feel the wind.
However,
Until you drink the dirty water solely to survive,
or shed the blood of your enemies
in the name of duty and honor,
or set your naked soul free
to embrace the wind,
taking that giant leap into the unknown,
I’m afraid you can only imagine the fire.
Earth, Wind, & Fire..
Your story telling is second to none.
This line is the one that hit me, most;
“They were terrified,
but they felt the wind.”
I can see it, clear as day! A feeling I know well.
Impressive, as always, bro!
My friend thank you so much for reading this gem! Glad you were able to pick a favourite line from it. It’s undoubtedly one of my favourite pieces. I really appreciate the support, bro!
Cyrus, wow, I felt like i was living three different lives, that was so clever! the element are everything and you have made them so!
my favourite part –
“not to be burned alive,
but rather burned to life”
yes little phoenix inside of us all! burn and live again, Amazing!!
Well thank you so much for taking the time out to read it, my friend 🙂 I really appreciate that!
The fire rises in all of us 😀
There it is! Poetry at its finest. So creative you are! You take the reader into this world of yours and leaving them awe struck. Always said you’re the best storyteller and one of the best poets out there.
You’re making me blush with these words, brother 🙂 Thanks so much for your continued support and for checking this poem out! Much appreciate it man, truly!
Wow, you have a true gift of telling stories and transporting your reader exactly where you want them. Well done!
Jane I sincerely appreciate your review 🙂 I humbly thank you for reading!