OCEANS
……for Mr. Benny Bieche
The water blue in your eyes tells the story of
the oceans you’ve crossed
and the storms you have faced.
I sat in a room watching the message in
a bottle unfold – carefully, like turning the pages of a rain worn book.
I have never seen an ocean – I have never
smelled salt in the air or heard the sounds of crashing waves, nor have I
experienced what it is like to have family members
snatched in the night by figures who uproot you from your home.
Like water, you flowed from one place to another, hopping countries at an age where you should have been playing hop scotch
The oceans you’ve crossed and the storms you’ve faced are unimaginable to me – just
as I cannot imagine tall waves, I cannot imagine the courage and boiling resilience within your veins
Lungs caught frozen, trying to inhale another’s language,
But just as storms pass, you sought to teach others wisdom – something some could never do
The blue in your eyes tells the story of a man like water – through every storm and ocean crossed, there is no wisdom or courage lost
This was a commentary style poem inspired by both the oceans in Benny’s life, and also how they could represent all the trials and tribulations he went through in order to make him who he is today. Thank you for allowing Nicole and I to be wholly inspired by your amazing story of courage and resilience, Benny.