I asked the world for a river that knows no bounds. It’d flow through the forest, the desert, and the sea. At night, it’d wander through the sky, passing every star. It wouldn’t know when to stop, letting nothing stand in its way.
What I got was a stream that can’t quite make it down the street. Some days, I wondered if I’ve lost it. It could be all dried up for what I knew. But by the time I carried a bucket back to refill it, it was going down another few feet. It never made it far.
I never had to leave.
So instead of a bucket this time, I’ll bring a shovel. If I dig wide enough, the rainwater will build into a small pond that will one day turn into a lake. I’ll keep digging until a small river follows me down the street. It will sway and waver, but eventually, it will have no choice but to follow.
It’s not going to travel the forest, the desert, or the sea. It’s not going to say hi to every star. It’s going to stop.
But when it does, I’ll pick my shovel back up again.
Copyright © Robin LeeAnn
Robin LeeAnn 