The Promotion by Rachel Taylor Geier

I reached for the moon and landed in the stars,

Just like they told me to.

But the stars were full of broken promises.

And lies.

My confidence has been shattered.

It wasn’t that long ago when I felt I had things together,

Moving gracefully and swiftly into the sunset.

An arrogant yet determined breeze at my back.

I was captain of the boat,

But now find myself shipwrecked.

Be careful what you wish for.

I am in over my head.

Drowning at sea without a lifeguard in sight.

I don’t even know how to swim.

Fleeting compliments seem like mere passports

Issued by others in order to ask for more.

What is more?

What is less?

I long for the island I left behind.

The familiarity of the palm trees.

The predictability of the tide.

The stability of the land.

They tell me not to be so hard on myself.

That I will learn with time.

But time is a shapeshifter,

Promising nothing more than an invisible net to catch fish that are not there.

Where was I sailing to? 

Why was I going there?

I am lost at sea.

SOS.

Rachel Taylor Geier holds a DMA in Flute Performance from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, an MM in Flute Performance from San Francisco State University, and a BM in Music Performance from DePauw University. Dr. Geier currently teaches and freelances in Davis, California.