Waiting on the Coast by Seungbihn Park

My backpack is the Pacific Ocean. Its color, 

despite its plainness, leaks layers of blues 

and greens and their brew. It is the teal beach 

on a sunny noon, Earth’s emerald. Its saturation 

is dimming from age here and there, yellowing, 

browning like the sand. And somewhere 

between those layers, when you dive into the pores, 

at the bottom of the ocean, lies the dust my sister 

caressed years ago. When I glide my fingers 

through the cracked but soft leather with a little bit 

of blurred shine leftover, I sense her presence 

and the years she carried this very bag on her heavy 

shoulders. So I must flutter to the surface, pushing 

against gravity. The weight of the water will trap 

me under its layers, 

but I must propel my arms with the jellyfish. 

Then, finally, I would break through the surface, 

take my first breath, inhale the salt breeze, the kelp 

scent, and the heat of the sun. 

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Seungbihn Park is a 15-year-old Korean student who is currently attending Cresskill High School in the United States. She was born in Switzerland and lived in several countries, including the Philippines and the Dominican Republic. Her poems have been awarded by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. During her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis and cooking pasta.