The Raft

I took a small raft out to the sea,

One small raft, only for me.

Nothing else on it, nothing would fit.

Just me and the sea,

Alone as can be.


I left my family and all my dear friends.

Why would I need them when end comes to end?

“They will not miss me,

They will not care,

It won’t make a difference when I am not there.”

I say to myself, content as can be.

What better than floating

Upon the deep sea?


Days turned to weeks, and my heart seemed to drop,

“Can anyone hear me? Please help me stop!”

I cry to the others I left behind

But no one would answer I soon did find.

The boat became small

The sun was too hot,

It seemed to bake me,

But the raft did not stop.

It floated farther and farther away,

I knew this was the price I must pay.


“I was wrong!” I cried out

With a pained, lonely heart,

“I shouldn’t have split us all apart!”

“I know I am stupid,

I know I’m not nice,

My heart is just bitter,

colder than ice,

I deserve nothing, I’m bad as can be,"

But no one did help me, and I hated me.


I sat bitterly crying

When I saw a fish unobtrusively spying,

“Child,” It whispered, “Come, jump on in,”

“The waters not bad, lets see how you swim.”

I shook my head and in fear I did cry,

“What if its wild and I drown and die?”

So, I sat and I cried,

And I wept and I wailed.

Further and further and further I sailed.

Wishing and regretting what I had done,

But my choice of action was zero to none.


“Weep on my child, just sob, sulk and cry,”

“stay if you want, but never will I.”

The fish dove on under to the murky sea.

I looked down after it and for once I saw me.

In my reflection, a grey face was shone,

A face that was no other than my own.

I saw the weak creature I had come to be.

But what truly got me? Potential, you see.

The ability I had to become so much more,

I dove, at that moment and swam for the shore.


I did not drown like I thought I would.

In fact, the cool water felt rather good.

It gave me relief from hate, sorrow and fear,

And I suddenly asked myself,

“Why am I here?

What in the world possessed me to shove,

Those who are dear to me, I cherish and love.

What was I afraid of in the water, so still?

Why did the curse of self-hatred fill,

My heart and cloud up my once lucid head,

Filling this journey with sorrow and dread.

Now I understand, I finally see,

I am the only me that could be.

When I have messed up, it doesn’t make sense

To sulk or to hate, just clean up my mess.


I swam until I got to my long-missed home.

A beautiful sight after being alone.

I finally saw, I was missed when gone,

I finally learned that I was all wrong.

I need to begin to do my own part,

And show all the love I have in my heart.

Be kind and be there for the people I know,

Then, accept, don’t decline, the love that they show.