On the beach in Jacksonville​

waves crash on my feet, just mine alone;
i sit with seagulls, and myself,
a turtle nest, and sea foam spray -
a first for me, i think i like it.
here on the beach,
my soul exhales and i’m surprised.
i wonder, was the parkway in my blood,
or did i crave familiarity,
belonging? as i adventure step-by-step,
i find enthusiasms shifted.
do i really love the mountains or
was that the only way i knew to wander?
my tears fall silent on the sand,
no human soul will see them.
but the ocean whispers loud to me
(i’ll whisper back, i hear you):
there is time for sorrow
and rejoicing breath by breath,
for unexpected solitude will always give
me space for exploration.

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Emma Anderson
is an amateur poet from Lynchburg, VA. Her journey as a poet began in 2020, when she and a friend challenged each other to write one poem every day for twenty days. Recently, Emma’s poetry has drawn from life experiences associated with young adulthood and mental health struggles.

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