Do you remember that time when you waded out into the bay
Until the sea cooled your ribs and the shore receded?
You struck out, from turquoise to deep blue,
Round the headland and towards the sun,
Telling yourself there were no sharks in these waters,
And that it wasnβt so very far, if you can keep a steady pace,
Resist the rising tempo, stop trying to outswim the sharks,
Because there are none.
Do you remember feeling sand on the soles of your feet in the next bay along,
Striding ashore, a conqueror of the ocean, and yourself,
Walking heavy limbed and dripping into the warmth of your own daring?
Can you recall that wedding, that classroom, that funeral?
The one where you stood firm on jellied legs,
Spoke even though your voice broke,
Looked them in the eye, refused to shame yourself for feeling
And felt the stronger for it?
Now recollect that other sea, under the midnight sun,
How you plunged into frigid waves just to know you could,
Or that mountain, or that rock face, or that leap,
Just to know you could,
And feel your bones thicken with the knowing.
The cave where your heart pounded
Somewhere between your chin on the floor and your crown on the ceiling,
And you reminded yourself to breath and be patient
And emerged master of the depths?
The conversations where your heart shrank
But you kept your chin up and held your crown humbly in your own hands
And reminded yourself, breath, be patient,
This does not define you.
Remember when you thought you could not, and did.
Remember when you feared you were not enough, and said yes all the same.
Remember when you fell and stood up, when you cried and still kept your eye fixed,
When you feared, but promised to stay,
And stayed, and did not die.
Now stand, amidst your gathered company.
I can prevail.
About the Creator
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
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More stories from Hannah Moore and writers in Poets and other communities.
Let's Don't Do This
"I just can't do this anymore..." "Do what?" What can't you do? Put gas in your own car? I swear to God you make me take care of everything, don't you? You know I'm on my way to work right now but that never stops you from bothering me, does it?"
By Shirley Belk7 days ago in Fiction
Comments (26)
Excellent poem and contentβ¦ well deserved win! Inspirational to read.β
Wow, Hannah. This was so good, I felt every line. So glad I got to read this. Congratulations on a very well deserved win
My only issue is that I waited to so long to read this. As I said another place this felt very you. There was a resoluteness. Working through hardships and coming through the other end. Love that final line it feels so concrete so proud and confident. But really the whole thing is a masterstroke. I am glad I didn't read it before entering because I would have felt outmatched. Like John said I fear saying as much as I have would tarnish what you've achieved with this.. it also reminds me howmuch I miss you. Selfish maybe to say that? Just honesty and not meant pressurey - well done on the Top Story and the richly deserved win. An absolute pleasure to share the podium space with you again, my friend.
I really love the mood of the poem. It's very ethereal. The flow is so natural and the language is powerful, yet soothing. Very well deserved win. Congratulations!
Strong and powerful verses of self upliftment Hannah. Another great creation from a master storyteller. Congrats my dear, well deserved.
This poem feels like a steady heartbeat, pulsing with strength and inner power. Great work, and a well earned win!
Wooohooooo congratulations on your win! ππππππ
Circling back to say congrats on honourable mention this week, Hannah!!
Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! ππππππ
This is incredible π₯Ή congrats on your top story and for placing on the leader board!
Congratulations, awesome
This gives me confidence not to doubt myself, thankyou for sharing and well done on Top Story xx
Congrats on your top story! Well-deserved, thus is π₯π₯π₯
Your exploration of resilience is beautiful especially in how you frame growth whether itβs physical emotional or spiritual. Each act of daring becomes a way to strengthen oneself in the process.
Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! ππππππ
Circling back around to say congrats on Top Story, Hannah!!
π
As always, the best on here. Preemptively telling you congrats on another placement
Deep and heartfelt Hannah. inspiring
Whoaaa, this was soooo powerful and gorgeously written! Loved your poem!
Oh Hannah, that was so intense, so beautiful, so sad. I'm smiling for you!
There are times when someone's poetry or prose moves me so profoundly that I fear that anything I might write would diminish the emotions experienced after the reading. This is one of those times. Thank you, Hannah, for sharing your soul with us.
Powerful words, Hannah! You spoke to your readers' souls. Amazing!
I appreciated how relable this was and how much feeling it brought out. Lovely and inspiring work :)
This was inspiring, reminding me that we draw best from what we know! The imagery in this was just precisely done, Hannah!!