*
I heard the ocean swelling,
Daring me to cross.

I heard the ocean swelling,
That was an echo from the lost Atlantis,
It was 10,000 years ago, Atlas strutted the sky for us,
But I lost the chance to stand with him.

I heard the ocean swelling,
That was the melody from the Titanic,
It was a luxurious journey with a romantic story,
But I missed the time to play a part.

I heard the ocean swelling,
That was a tsunami from the Pacific Ocean,
It was Nature giving us an alarm,
But we ignored the warning to respond.

I heard the ocean swelling,
That was Hurricane Sandy from the Atlantic Ocean,
It was the angry moon to beat our waves,
But we haven’t woken up to learn from it yet.
I heard the ocean swelling,
That was a whale shaking her wings,
It was a weak sound to groan,
But I can’t help her, or myself, to breathe.

I heard the ocean swelling,
Daring me to cross,
Encouraging me to adventure,
Pushing me to take care,
Allowing me to enjoy . . .
*
*

Michelle Chen, age 60, studies English at the Queens Public Library’s Peninsula Adult Learning Center. James McMenamin is her teacher, and Barbara Miller is the site adviser. Originally from Beijing, China, Michelle Chen came to the U.S. in 2006. She writes, “I enjoy the simple life, drinking tea, reading, traveling, and watching movies.”