Rio de Janiero

I tiptoe past the giant Christ,

his gaze softer than my own reflection in the bay.

Favela rooftops laugh at the Atlantic breeze,

while I let the sand kiss my toes

and the sun flirt with my shoulders.

Samba drums beat under my ribs,

Copacabana curves like a wink,

and I think: even the mountains have secrets,

even the waves have desires.

The caipirinhas sparkle like small miracles,

and I am dizzy with freedom,

with the absurd joy of being alive here,

where every street corner hums “bem-vindo”

and every stranger might just teach you to love.

I dive into the ocean like confession,

letting saltwater wash my doubts away,

the city laughing, teasing, daring me

to rise, to fall, to spin naked in the heat of possibility.

Rio whispers in rhythm:

“Touch life, taste it, shake it, claim it.”