"when she was just a girl, she expected the world"

For all people whose youthful expectation is challenged by life

She expected that the Atlantic
could be taken home, cupped in her hands,
but soon she knew it'd only fall from her fingers,

she expected to coax the horses
from the wild moors with a handful of carrots
but soon she learnt they could not be herded
into domesticity

She expected to call every bird
from the elms with a few crumbs of bread
but soon she found birds would rather winter
in the frost than be a prisoner to food.

and the bottled Atlantic
would only grow a saline crust.
She came to value other things: the music
of laughter; the artistry of tears cried so well,

that the sore was soon lanced,
the child glanced playing on the street,
with expectations of owning the world,
and the growing crescendo of her realistic dreams.

Reviews

[h d e rushin]

Ms Whiteley: This is major, modern american literature.This poetry is well
thought out with an equal rational-emotional mix.
"and the bottled Atlantic
would only grow a saline crust"
is a light tune I placed under my tongue and have repeated it all day, even
without your music. Thanks for sharing this....hder.

[Emily B]

i'm so glad that you've been posting lately

i had missed your words

[Antonio Valentino]

She expected to call every bird
from the elms with a few crumbs of bread

i liked that

thats what youth is for yes, innocence

i enjoyed reading you again, very nicely done
xo

[Leslie Philibert]

This is a fine poem, I`ve read a number of Sel`s poems , and they are excellent,she has the poet`s ability to surprise with original and unexpected ideas ( bottled Altlantic is great) and put them into well structured poems. Good work.

[Donald Meikle]

lessons well learnt and the growing crescendo so well earned.

[Distant horizons]

This is so beautifully done. The dreams of youth against the realities of maturity. Doesn't mean thatthe dreams have to end though/ Brilliantly captured.