ISLAND

I’m on an

ISLAND

All by myself.

I call out to people I see

Floating by me

In boats of all different shapes and sizes.

But they can’t–

WON’T–

Hear me.

They’d rather live in their

Foolish opulence;

Drown in their

Pompous ideas.

I watch them,

One by one,

Jumping overboard.

I yell out to them,

Command them to

STOP.

But they laugh

As they jump off the deck of the cruise ship.

They smile

As they jump off of the rickety rowboat.

They whoop

As they jump off the yacht.

They jump

Willingly

Into the shark-infested waters

Beneath them.

They don’t even scream as they’re torn

To bits and pieces.

They don’t seem to know.

And the worst part is

I have to watch.

It’s my duty.

I can’t turn my back on them;

I’m supposed to save them.

–

One passenger hears me.

I gasp,

Relieved,

And throw out a life preserver.

He catches it in his

Capable hands,

A bit afraid

For the first time in his life.

He’s unsure

For the first time in his life.

But he comes

ANYWAY.

Everyone screams for him to

Come back

But he ignores them,

Just like they ignore me

Day in and day out.

I pull him ashore.

The twinkle in his eye

Is so beautifully familiar.

I want to cry.

I’m not

ALONE

Anymore.

He takes my hand

And we stroll across the beach.

—

We can rest for a little while.

But tomorrow

When the sun serves breakfast

I’ll be back at it again.

But this time I have a friend.

And together we’ll throw life preservers

Out to those

Who don’t want a life to preserve.