Oh Little Goldfish, don't you know you're strong?
I always loved the ocean
the waves crashing on shore,
to and fro
lapping up the sand greedily in its maw
But when I was a child,
I was scared
scared when life became viscious waves
never satifisfied in taking
taking
taking
until there was nothing left
And I was a victim
as the world took many precious
innocent things from me
sometimes before I had ever known them
So fear gripped me
and I felt more like a goldfish in the sea
rocking unwillingly in the undertow
afraid to brace myself firmly on the seafloor
I refused to speak up
I couldn't speak out
I was silent
as a storm raged around me
not a word passed my lips
My golden scales faded
into an ugly orange
My eyes closed
so that I couldn't even see the beauty
of sunlight dancing in dark blue
I became choked up
I couldn't live the life I wanted to
even when the waves calmed
the dark pools stilling
I hid behind seaweed
Until, one day, I decided
the only way to get better was to fight
The only way to be happy
was to fight for my own happiness
Where my toes would curl in the soft sand
and hesitation would hold me from jumping in
I now leap into the water with unbridled joy
I will unapologetically swim
to the darkest recesses of the ocean
Seizing my future in my own hands
I will create the rays of light burning like fire
on the ocean floor
I will welcome the lull of the undertow
Whisper kindly to the riptide
Still my frantic heart when a storm approaches
Because like the storm and the ocean,
I am a force
A calming, powerful,
determined force
Unwavering in my passion
I will forget the pain of the bad times
the constricting nature of fear
In favor of welcoming
the sea.