By Riley Bernatchy, Cambridge, VT
"You have a voice, use it," they say.
So I do, but my words get lost in
the sea of voices that surround me.
I repeat myself, louder this time,
trying to swim to the surface
of this sea of voices.
No one hears a single word.
So I swim closer to the surface
of this noisy, murky sea.
I repeat myself once again,
my fingers almost touching
the chilly air above the sea.
No one hears me.
So I give up, and let myself sink
back into this neglectful, noisy sea.
When the moon finally notices
the creatures that lurk in this murky sea,
it says, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."
I can feel their words burn through
the cold freezing waters of the sea I swim in.
The moon would've heard the creatures if it had listened.
They would've heard me if they had listened to me.
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