Everglades Girl | Teen Ink

Everglades Girl

June 25, 2013
By Anonymous

When I was born, my eyes were dark blue. Then my parents took me to the Everglades.

I saw its sawgrass and its dense forest and its living, breathing body.

I saw the Everglades and my eyes turned the grey-green of crocodile skin; the color of the algae on the back of a soft-shell turtle.

I saw the slow, waist-deep river and my hair turned the color of its deepest point -- dark, deep, glittering, mysterious.

I saw the tangled, wild forest with its vines and mosses and my locks imitated their demeanor; they spun and curled and flew in every direction to please the forest.

I saw the beautiful beasts and my skin turned the pale gold of an alligator's throat; the color an egret's wings turn as it flies across the setting sun.

I saw the patience of the Everglades -- its slow, peaceful determination -- and I followed.

I heard nothing as the python watched the world with glass eyes. I learned the value of silence.

I watched a ripple across the surface of the river and I realized that I could not quite see the bottom.

I watched that ripple and my soul endeavored to become as deep and rich as the water below me.

I watched that ripple -- in the river, in time, in the the very structure of my society -- and I became the Everglades.


The author's comments:
I grew up in Miami and, as a little girl, my parents used to take me to the Everglades frequently. We've moved away since then and sometimes I feel a hole where this magical place used to be. It's a completely different world, out there.

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This article has 4 comments.


India said...
on Jun. 29 2013 at 3:39 pm
On MS Word, the hyphens connect and from one long dash, which is considered proper punctuation. The writer probably copied and pasted it from Word.

Tempus1Fugit said...
on Jun. 28 2013 at 11:10 pm
I like this work, but the "--" thing looks weird at some points. Perhaps this problem is the site or something, but I would look over this piece again and see if this isn't some other, better way to word the sentences that use the "--" puncuation.  Other than that, though, this piece is great. I can really connect to what the narrator is feeling, and I can see what the Everglades look like through her eyes. Good job!

on Jun. 28 2013 at 8:26 am
KkatKreationz PLATINUM, Minerva, Ohio
31 articles 0 photos 66 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken." :)
-Me.

AMAZING! This waas amazing... Heartfelt. I loved it.

on Jun. 27 2013 at 10:11 pm
TheShyOne BRONZE,
2 articles 0 photos 13 comments

Favorite Quote:
We are are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. ~Oscar Wilde

This was beautiful.