El Charco Azul

When I think of the sweet waters
that day, I'll remember these things:

La naturaleza / Borinken's
music / sweet nature / on the path
of our own adventure / arriving / living
young, wild and free with happy heartbeats
and happy tears / los azules / rivers
emociones

When I think of the sweet waters
that day, I will remember our joyful hearts
team building / making sandwiches together the night before
that Kenny was the first to get in the water
that Melissa was the first to jump
Alex saying, people do you realize how hot I take my showers?
that swimming into the
pure cold cold cold / healed us
los azules enriched with minerals
los azules crystal clear / sweet rivers
washing away aches, pains, fears
pensive moments
when I think of the sweet waters
I'll always want to return

I'll think of Lyvette's laughter
Li's yoga pose
Soreily's spirit
Jeffrey's smiles
appreciating it all
I'll think of taking selfies
with Gabby and Sharvia
above the waterfall
climbing over the rocks with Orlando
Yadira's call to explore
Elijah's white flip flops
Marie and Abu
helping Stephanie and me
clear the waters / scooping up
all the potatoe chips that fell
and fanned out
protecting los azules adentro y pa fuera
trying our best to leave it better than
how we found it
how we didn't wanna leave
how being with young people
keeps you young and is something to cherish always
I'll think of my talk with Tashi over lunch
and the way Deron's Caribbean blooded gaze detected
the depth of the water / the instinct of where to dive in
and where not
and that Andres saved a local boy
from drowning
and thought no one
noticed



January 13, 2019
Patillas, Puerto Rico