A Journey on a Wave , a poem by Sriya Veluri

 A Journey on a Wave

By Sriya Veluri

Sometimes I like to imagine that I am on a secluded island,

Sitting on the shore of a white sand beach,

Watching the waves come and go.

The waves rise beautiful and tall,

The color of a cloudless blue sky,

Creating a vast blue blanket that cradles the Earth.

As I stand up,

With the shimmering sand beneath my feet,

A small wave tenderly approaches me.

I feel its hands wrap around my bare ankles,

Tugging ever so softly but mightily,

Inviting me into the endless ripples of the ocean.

I feel weightless as the wave picks me up so effortlessly,

Sitting on the wave as if it is a saddle,

Having nothing to grasp on to but air itself.

The wave grows in magnitude,

Gliding away from the sand shore,

Taking me along for the ride.

The sun shines down on me,

Making my cheeks flush a soft pink color,

Heating my dark black hair.

The wave creeps around the ocean,

Like it is waiting for something,

Perhaps a friend that it would like to introduce.

I watch the ripples beneath me,

Spotting a shadowy figure lurking under the blue blanket,

Waiting to catch a glimpse of what it is.

I feel a smooth surface,

Replacing my seat on the wave,

Rubbery and strong.

In a swift motion, it lifts me high

Into the limitless sky,

Making me feel like I can fly.

It tosses me off its back,

And I catch a glimpse of the humongous whale,

As I almost plunge into the depths of the ocean.

But the wave catches me,

Securing me onto its back,

Steering me away from the whale.

The wave is rising and falling in magnitude,

Like shoulders heaving from laughter,

At the prank its friend had played on me.

I smile at the gaiety of the wave,

My heart rate subsiding,

Enjoying the playfulness.

Suddenly, I feel drops of water,

Dribbling on my skin,

From the sky above.

When I look up,

I see that clouds of gray have replaced the once-clear sky,

And the sun is playing hide and seek.

A powerful white light fills the sky,

But it is gone in a blink,

Quickly followed by a bellowing clap of thunder.

The intensity of the rain picks up,

Attempting to drag me down,

Into the ocean of darkness beneath me.

The wave holds me,

Like a protective mother,

As I fight to stay above the water.

The water is choppy and rigid,

Nothing like it was moments before,

Possibly preparing to be the bane of my existence.

But the wave still carries me,

Gentle and loving through all the madness of its relatives,

Even fighting some of them to keep me alive.

As fast as the storm had come,

It had gone just as quickly,

And I release a sharp breath of relief.

The sun has been found now,

Taking its place low on the horizon,

In time for its rest for the night.

The wave brings me to the horizon and shows me a sight,

A sight that only exists in paintings,

In fact, it is a divine blessing to the eyes.

Only the most captivating color pallet to exist,

From the brightest shades of red and orange,

To the coolest tones of purple and pink.

A magnificent sunset is painted before me,

Drawn over the once brightest blue sky,

Drawn over the once darkest storm clouds.

It erases all traces of time,

Merely leaving behind a magical picture,

That can be captured with only my mind and heart.

I am overwhelmed with serenity,

Embracing the beauty of nature,

In its most majestic form.

As the sky darkens,

The wave takes me back,

Gliding to the sand shore.

Dampening the sand,

It places me down softly,

Back to where I was only a couple of hours ago.

I watch as it retreats into the black darkness,

Where the ocean is tranquil,

Where it waits to take me on yet another journey.