The girl on the beach stares at the ocean vista,
Of the tropical paradise she’s found.
Warm sand gently caresses her bare feet,
While a balmy breeze lifts her auburn hair,
And she is lost in her reverie.
With a wistful sigh she inhales deeply,
Shrugging her troubles away.
The briny ocean air is fresh and clean,
Life is so very beautiful here!
But she muses upon reality,
For just beyond the resort property,
She sees dark-skinned people, the locals,
They’re watching her; hoping she notices them.
Their hands outstretched, she’s fully aware
Of how much a few pesos would mean to them.
She tries to imagine herself in their shoes.
They did not choose this life,
Destiny placed them here, in paradise.
But this is no Eden,
At least not to most who live here.
A young woman sits quietly on the beach near her,
Dark eyes empty, desperate,
Her small child sleeping
On a ragged blanket right next to her,
“One dollar por mi bambino”, she pleads.
The girl on the beach pauses, withdrawing the few pesos
She carries in the pocket of her skirt,
A warm, “Gracias, senora”, is genuine.
In her other pocket, a handful of candy
That she places in the woman’s hand.
Her shy smile and nod speak volumes.
She continues down the beach,
Thinking about the young maid
That cleaned her room yesterday,
She’d handed her a beautiful shawl,
A purchase from another trip,
An item she simply had to have, but never used.
Tears glistened in the young maid’s eyes,
“Gracias, senora, it is very beautiful,
It is for my mother.”
This young woman worked for mere pesos,
Yet when gifted with an extravagance
She might never be able to possess,
Her thoughts were not for herself, instead
How much her mother would love the gift.
The girl on the beach exhales a deep sigh,
Humbled by the life lessons she’s learned
On a daily basis, in this tropical paradise.
She is poignantly aware of how much
She takes for granted in her own country.
Simple things like the ability to earn a living,
Having access to clean water and food,
Luxuries like clothing, furniture, a home, and a car.
Struggles with cold winters, snow and ice
Seem so trivial to her now.
Turning her face to the warm, humid breeze,
And heading back along the shore,
The girl on the beach tries to imagine,
What the locals would think
If they could see the world she lives in.
Would they believe her wealthy beyond measure?
She’s keenly aware of her blessings!
She has more than they can ever hope for,
Even though her lifestyle is modest in her world.
Back in her room, on the trendy resort,
She rummages through her suitcases.
Intent upon keeping only the basics for herself.
She puts aside clothing and other things
She will leave behind
When her stay in paradise is over.
She wishes there was more she could do,
But the world is what it is,
And there will always be distinctions.
Nevertheless, the next time she comes,
She is determined to bring humanity with her
And share it with an open heart.
© Annabel Sheila
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Blessings,
Marcia
Your friend, Mark