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Therese Bileanschi- Journey to Kanomi

Therese Bileanschi

Found Object:

Plant matter

On shoreline on the beach

 

Once part of a large tree,

flourishing and strong,

I gained nourishment from

a source deep below.

 

Swaying in the island breeze,

I sat with the other blooms,

cradled in the branches.

 

Then one night I broke away,

pressured by a howling wind,

angry and unforgiving

gnawing at my soul.

 

I fell.. I tumbled...

I travelled down

deep below, to the dusty depths

of an untrodden path.

 

I looked above

at what I had left:

The other blossoms on twigs

securely fastened to their branches.

 

And decided, then and there

never again would I look back.

 

I was blown to the shoreline,

almost with no will of my own -

as it had assented to

a stronger force.

 

I tumbled in the waves

and rode the surf.

I thought it fun at first,

til I lay beaten, spent and alone

on the sandy beach of an unknown shore.

 

I lay there, now powerless... afraid.

 

I lay in the mid-morning sun...

Now hot and dry.

I listened to the waves,

but nothing drove me on.

 

I thought about staying forever

in that spot -

forgotten and forlorn.

 

But the waves washed over me next night.

Powerless again against their might

I was dragged under and flung about in the current.

 

Then again I lay next morn

on the sandy shore.

 

Night after night, day after day

Toss after toss, hour upon hour.

It repeated with no respite.

 

Until I cried out to God above...

and then a stranger picked me up.

 

She carried me round and laid me down

on the shelf in her cabin.

After a time I grew strong...

 

But then just as quickly she put me back...

There on the beach I lay, once more.

But this time hopeful and full of promise.

 

I decided to ride the waves again

and return to my homeland shore.

See my family and tell my story

and warn the young to hang on.