Immersion

Location

Immersed.

Lost, confused, and unable to communicate.

To express myself,

To express my sense of self.

Two languages, two cultures, two ways of life,

One soul. Stranded.

 

It was here that I discovered expression.

It was here that I learned to interact,

With little to no interaction.

To show the entirety of myself,

Without words,

Without common ground.

 

But how can I be sure?

Sure that my slightly crooked smirk

Showed my light-heartedness,

And my awkward sense of humor.

Sure that my eyes were clear enough,

For my innocence to peer through.

 

Can I be sure?

That the songs I sang

Showed more than the just their melodies,

That they showed my fearlessness,

And my desire to be part of something,

Bigger than myself.

 

But I am sure.

Is it because of what their smiles showed me?

That their dimples showed me joy,

That the sparkles in their dark eyes showed me hope,

Or that their singing showed me their quirkiness?

It must be.

 

Because her giggle showed me her gratitude,

And the perpetual wrinkle between his brows

Became more than his frustration.

I knew that her eye twitch wasn’t just nervousness,

But a world of insecurity.

And we bonded.

 

Because I showed her my apprehensiveness,

And my subtle negativity,

With my tapping fingers and unfocused eyes.

Because I showed him my tension,

And my stubborn tendencies,

In the way I gripped my pen.

 

With this our cultures became one.

The barrier that had divided us, crumbled.

Because we spoke the same language,

Without a single world,

And recognized the same greatness, 

Around us and within us.

 

Now I know,

That my smile will always be enough

To show the world my pride,

Just like it showed them my quirkiness.

That my eyes will show my fears,

Despite how hard I try to hide them.

 

And now, even when I am quiet,

I know that the whole world can hear me,

Shouting at the top of my lungs.

Even when I am guarded,

I know that I can be read like an open book.

Even when I feel alone,

I know that I am immersed.

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