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New Life MAG
Young girl
fifteen years old
leaning on the bow of a
ship bound for America
Her thick dark braids
whip at her face as they
fall from her shining crown
Indigo dress, worn, tattered
and stained with the salty
sprays of sea water and tears
flutters around her, as a bird
caught and frightened, trying to
fly away
She presses harder against the rail
trying to push the boat faster
nearer to land and America
excited and afraid of what lies ahead
Her dark eyes scan the horizon, searching
for the first sight of land
that she envisioned during the dark, stormy
days in the ship's hold
with sick people
and the ever-present smell of death
Her hands clasp tightly in a silent prayer
to ensure a safe trip to the immigrants'
future country
Hungry tongues lapping the salt-covered sides
of a rocking cradle
Overhead, screams of seagulls
slowly sink into her head as a sign of land
Knees weak, she makes her way to another part of the bow
The waves rock the boat endlessly
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