Student Publishing Program ::

Rachel Goldberg

Taking A Step Out

I step out into nature, only me.
All the lights are extinguished.
Out of the city, distant from noise,
Away from the chaos that usually surrounds me.
I take a deep breath, concentrating on the chilled air inhibiting my lungs,
Followed by the trailing of a smooth breeze seeping back out.
For the first time I am satisfied.
I lie down, it is summer time,
Not humid, yet not dry,
A perfect environment as if the earth was tending to me as her guest.
I snuggle into the ground,
The grass molds around my body.
My fingers spread into the plush surroundings,
The soothing blades tickle my skin.
I observe the mysterious sky witnessing a bright light.
This time it is not a street lamp or the headlights of a roaring bus,
It is the stars.
Staring at a single star, I behold a flash from the corner of my eye.
I blink rapidly, verifying that I am still surrounded by reality.
My eyes return to the dark inviting sky,
Convinced that I have cleared the illusion.
Now another flare,
The second I see it, is the instant I lost it.
I desire to put it into slow motion, to suspend time.
To lock this moment in a box,
Never forced to let it go.
Then I spot another, tracing the graceful gliding light, I make a wish.
Like the smart man in many tales that got wishes and wished for three more,
I pray to be given the chance to relive this moment.
Allowing the moment to pass,
I am alone, but do not feel alone at all.
Things are moving all around me.
Now they are not noisy trains or the loud chatter of people,
The stars are circling around me.
For the first time the movement, the change,
It is all comforting.
The time I risked stepping out,
Was the time I felt closest to the sensations furthest away.

[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2010 EDITION]