ocean’s girl sara emira

OCEAN’S GIRL

Home is not a place; it’s a feeling, a state of being.

I wander

I know no home feel no attachment to land, But the ocean Will always have my heart

What’s the use in being attached to a land That changes in the hands of its leader? I’d much rather give my soul to an ocean To a spirit too wild to be shaped by the laws of the land A beautiful rebel

It’s at times like this When I’m at my lowest That I take long drives to the ocean at night

OCEAN’S GIRL

As the waves caress the coast One by one They embrace me Serenading me in a language only we know Welcoming me home

Breathe in I feel my lungs filling with the cool air And I’m brought back to my childhood The bustling streets of Alexandria Eating mango ice cream in the glistening sun Impromptu karaoke in the back of a taxi cab

Breathe out I open my eyes and I’m brought back to the present Looking at the ocean And longing to be home

Soon, I promise myself But for now, I drive away Knowing that no matter where I go The ocean will always be my home x

WORDS by SARA EMIRA

Author’s Note: This piece embodies the struggles of growing up between two countries and never feeling 100% at home in either of them. No matter where I go, I often find myself longing to be elsewhere. My family immigrated from Alexandria, Egypt over a decade ago and this poem pays homage to its beautiful view of the Mediterranean.