I stand

In the Costa Rican jungle,

My almond eyes

Reflecting the sun’s

Jagged rays

Shining through the forest canopy as

Distant, murmuring leaves

Cast sharp shadows

On my features

And veil

The dense forest floor.

My fingers stretch toward the

Sparse beams of light

Like a fern

Thirsting for the sun,

Lengthening, and entwining

With the juniper vines

Falling at my shoulders.

The crash

Of a waterfall

Floods my ears as

Raindrops slap

The vibrant, leaf-strewn path

And I let the current

Push me forward as

I wade through the storm.

A viper

Glides up a nearby tree,

Weaving in and out

Of the bark’s

Imperfections.

Its hiss slithers

In my ears

As if I were that tree.