the Water Warriors live in the caves of Kivia. It is said, by the gossiping wind, their caves lay behind a great waterfall. As told by the clouds, they possess an unmatched beauty and they glow ethereally. Their beauty comes not from their physical appearance, but from the light and power they exude. They do not keep flowers in their hair. They do not wrap themselves in linens and wool. They possess no gold or jewels.
It is said that humans first stumbled upon them 2,000 years ago. The Water Warriors were amused by these new creatures. The Water Warriors are not mortals. They resemble humans greatly, but they are not human. They do not keep flowers in their hair. They do not wrap themselves in linens and wool. They possess no gold or jewels.
Sriya Ilipilla
They swim with the fish. They bathe in the rich sunlight which streaks the water. They laugh and hum and serenade as no one before them has been known to do. They feel much. They feel love and lust and trust and betrayal. They feel sadness and loneliness and amazement and confusion. They feel no pity and no remorse. Their intelligence has not been measured; as the waves were too meek and the stones had no system of measurement. We do know that they possess vast amounts of knowledge. They get news from the waves and gossip from the stars. They do not own books, rather they borrow them from the mermaids from time to time. The mermaids and the Water Warriors get along very well. They hold tea parties and soirees. They make up poetry and songs for each other. They love and laugh. But the mermaids can only visit with the onset of spring. Until the Sun’s turn in the sky outlasts the Moon’s, the mermaids are held at bay by a current; and it sweeps them away with the start of autumn. The fall of crisp red leaves creates such a tremor, that a small hurricane forces the mermaids home.
During Midsummer, the Water Warriors hold a big festival, as is their tradition. They invite the faeries, the selkies, and of course the mermaids. They all talk and poke fun at the world, from humans to the Moon, but she always takes it lightly, continuously bathing them in her glow.
The Water Warriors live in bliss. They are as old as the seas, and do not leave their waters. They were created when first the Moon felt a twinge of fear, for no mortal may harm her with the Water Warriors as her defenders. They will outlive time and existence. They do not play by its rules. It is foretold, by the eastern winds, that when they see fit, the Water Warriors will cease to grace the wondrous seas. They will instead become the mist that clings to every mountain, that cleanses each valley when the inhabitant’s intentions lack purity.
There have been whispers, that a fog is beginning to roll over the hilltops.
It is, you suppose. There’s a beauty to a tiger’s jagged stripes, the fluidity of a striking viper. There’s beauty in danger- or the idea of it.
The Moon is beautiful- in the way bloody, brutal things are.
But bloody, brutal things are cruel. They do not think or feel in the way their prey does. They love, but their love is simple survival- a cunning dance that ensures more carnage. They do not get lonely. They do not know lonely.
The Moon is lonely.
You know. You have always known. You’ve seen her, slipping through trees, silver skin kissing the ground soft as anything, and you can forget, almost. You can forget.
But the Moon will not.
The Moon has lived here, in the tides that crushed bone, in the wolves that ate of her light. The Moon will always live here, always remember.
I’ve walked thousands of miles in these shoes Weak, wet, cold My feet have bled from the torn sole as the hard ground punctures my heel I’ve walked through deserts and mountains Through the rain and the snow I took my bruises, took my lumps Fell down and I got right back up I want to see you try it Put it on see if it fits Maybe walk a foot or two I want to see how long it will take Until you collapse on the weight of these shoes You see These shoes aren’t meant to be easy To be comfortable They are meant only for those who can stand to be hurt To be cut and bruised For feet that are willing to get cold and wet Tired Let’s see if you can walk in my shoes As I have walked in them my whole life
When day comes, we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never ending shade? With the burden of the never ending turmoil, we must unite and put our differences aside as we walk into the valley of the future. When we unite we can overcome any obstacle. We have learned from past failures and successes. We are adapting to the unknown. The past hasn’t been perfect. The mistakes have been made. We the new generation of this melting pot have fulfilled a vision of our forefather, Martin Luther King Jr., where the ethnic immigrant’s daughter can dream of endless opportunities and overcome previous injustices. And yes, there is still work to be done, but we are striving for the best. We’re not perfect, but everyone in this world has a part to aspire to equality. Aspire to a nation with fairness and humanity. United we stand divided we fall, so let’s rise up and do our part. Let’s put our differences aside and make a better example of ourselves. It wouldn’t hurt to be a part of this journey. Have pity for others as you would want others to have for you. Grieve for others as you would do for your friends and family. Hope for others in hurtful times as you would for your child. Do it because it is the right thing to do, not because you’re being asked to do it. Do it because what comes around goes around. Do it for the inevitable higher power that you will one day ask for forgiveness from. Let’s spare no effort to be open minded for the sake of our future. Let’s create the new pathway to be on the right side of future history. This path will bring a promising future for years to come. If the example is to learn from your mistake, dare yourself to change as America has no place for old broken ways. We have seen forces that would shelter our nation rather than change it. We have seen the aftermath of divided battle and no one came ahead. Instead there were lingering feelings of bottled up bitterness, resentment, and hatred. The divided events were in history books for future generations to learn from, not to be repeated. This country may now be hurting, but if we each put effort into fixing the damages left from the past, we may slowly see the light for the first time.
