I Know The Mainland Poem by Rebekah Daniel

It is cold at night, scorching in the morning.
The water is salty; my body is thirsting.
I can’t look out for my sustenance all alone,
It’s all over, it’s all gone.
I live on an island,
Afraid of the waters.
When I touch the oceans,
The acid it burns.

I can see the mainland, but I don’t want to go.
The island is my safe place; the island is my home.

I know the mainland; it is a prison.
I know the mainland; nobody listens.
I know what it is like, walls closing in.
I know the mainland; it is a prison.

I can’t take it anymore, the hunger, and the thirst.
So I decide to dive in to preserve my life first.
A gush of salt water wets my throat,
And now I’ll spend my eternity afloat.

I can see the mainland; my heart says no,
It is a prison; my identity mourns.
Now I can’t see the mainland,
And I can’t see the island,

Because I can’t stay afloat.