You had a thought
a realization
a feeling
a knowing
that your path
would be marked
by overturned and
uneasy stones
that would lose
your footing
after they promised
to keep you safe.
They let you sink,
without a tree
limb in sight,
into the murky
water, your saved
breath vanished
to vapor.
And then you knew.
You felt there
would be a
calm to come
under patches
and currents
of sun to wring
yourself out on
next to the
smooth gentle
ripples of a
river you have
seen before.
The canoe carried
you in the warm
redwood tree
your father had
carved out after
he prayed to it
for a thousand
years.
You had a thought,
a realization
a feeling
a knowing
this was not
the end.
The canoe kept
its shape after
it met the edge
of a waterfall
and made a
splash at your
green funeral.
You saw it
floating in the
marsh grass
with your
missing friend
a thousand
years later
I am here
to tell you
it wasn’t
a dream.
When you think,
realize
feel
know
that there is no
such thing as for
nothing, you will
always
be free.
You will be
like the canoe,
strong and
absent of time
when it matters
most.
Danielle Monzo is a poet and writer. Her work explores day to day life, matters of the heart, and exploration of being. A South Jersey native, she currently lives on the East Coast and works as a vocalist.
