far away islands.

She had taken a moment to step away from herself.
She needed to observe the scenery. She needed to examine her coordinates. She had finally given herself a moment to soak it all in. And, indeed, she did. Closed her eyes and counted to ten.

Then opened her eyes and embraced the world she now had decided to live in. Her island. Her self-created paradise. It was worth fighting for. It was worth the tears and anger. It was worth losing friends for. It was worth everything. Because this was a beauty she had never seen before.
Here she stood. On a ledge. Past a new threshold. Sunsets and treetops. Glancing over and seeing the clear blue oceans. Begging her to plummet into the depths of its waters. How wonderfully beautiful. How wonderfully lucky of her. How odd that she fears diving head first into...what do the townspeople call it?
Oh, yeah, love.
Behind her is the past. Her past. Enslaving her mind. Telling her what love should be.
But is love supposed to be the exact same for every person? Should everyone have a carbon copy love? Is every situation and person so alike that there can't be different kinds of love?
Want to dive head first into love? No fear? No questions? No ifs, ands, or buts?
Then let it go.
She ran headfirst. Never looking back. With all her heart. Closing her eyes. Spreading her arms as she fell into the ocean waters below. She fell into love. She fell into no fairytale romances. She fell into no expectations. She fell into the promise that fear wouldn't stop her from loving. She fell into being the girl who loved and was loved in return.
And slinking away from the water onto the sandy shore, she feels the sun beat on her skin. The plants between her fingertips. Specks of sand embedded on her skin. Then her eyes fell onto a vision of beauty. She secretly smiles.
He wakes up and turns to her and says, "You have the sweetest smile."
She was (finally) ready to love him rotten.


~RS
January, 2005
Used With Permission