Young girl

fifteen years old

leaning on the bow of a

ship bound for America



Her thick dark braids

whip at her face as they

fall from her shining crown

Indigo dress, worn, tattered

and stained with the salty

sprays of sea water and tears

flutters around her, as a bird

caught and frightened, trying to

fly away



She presses harder against the rail

trying to push the boat faster

nearer to land and America

excited and afraid of what lies ahead



Her dark eyes scan the horizon, searching

for the first sight of land

that she envisioned during the dark, stormy

days in the ship's hold

with sick people

and the ever-present smell of death

Her hands clasp tightly in a silent prayer

to ensure a safe trip to the immigrants'

future country



Hungry tongues lapping the salt-covered sides

of a rocking cradle



Overhead, screams of seagulls

slowly sink into her head as a sign of land



Knees weak, she makes her way to another part of the bow



The waves rock the boat endlessly