I could smell the dew
Hear the birds not quite awake
Feel the cold wind brush my skin
As though night and day
Met for a dance
And my steps cast
Shadows on an illusion.

As I walked
I felt confident
Yet my knees at times quivered
My ankles felt uncertain
As my legs navigated uneven streets
I kept my head up
Perched like a swan
Eyes focused on the horizon
Less I might stumble
Trip over my feet
My legs continued walking
Without rhyme
Filled with purpose.

The only obstacle was myself
My will power to continue
As the night rescinded
And the day began to break
Cold wind replaced by warmth
Birds eagerly urged me on
And I knew I was close
To my small slice
Of serenity on earth

As the smell of the ocean
Penetrated the air
Until my eyes could bask upon
The water gently brushing the shore
As though the water is the music
That accompanies night and day
In an eternal dance.

-Vanessa Hernandez