First Encounters

March 9, 2011 by pluraletantum.

This piece is a submission from guest author and poet, Silish Yigebru. Born and raised in the rural Yifat region of Ethiopia, Silish often reflects on the stark contrast between the life she once knew and the one she lives now in urban America. She currently lives in Houston, Texas where she sells real estate and is studying to receive her Master of Education.

Something that flows

Like the quiet country rivers

Without waves, but orderly moves

They pointed for me to step on to it

Then of course I did just that

I managed to go down a bit

But the stair seem to fight me

I’d rather be standing on my knee

That would be weird I thought

While I was worried and lost

People seem to be impatient

I turned around and sat

But it threw me back out

Why am I lost and fearful

Standing here like a fool

Everyone else seem to know

They are not falling down below

My first encounter

With the moving stair, the escalator

Was just simply nightmare

Too embarrassing to share

I may have said, I could have sworn

I was prepared for the unknown

Right at the start, coming to the west

Of that long journey

The escalator was not funny

___

You can follow Silish on Twitter @PoeticRealtor.

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