Staring Out into the Ocean

By Dana Park

There was a huge painting 
hung on an endless white wall.
The back of a woman and a man, clutching their hands
staring out into a vast blue ocean.

“What are they looking at?” I asked
“There’s nothing interesting about the ocean.” 
My mother shook her head, then said,
“What makes you think it’s an ocean?”

“The thin white waves, look.” 
I pointed at the wobbly acrylic lines
“What makes them wave patterns?” 
She asked, with a faint smile. 

Then I saw her still figure, staring into the painting 
Into the ocean, as her fingers
traced the wrinkles near her mouth,
her eyes distant, hollowed by the empty silence.

The woman and the man were small, 
dwarfed by the ocean ahead.
Two lonely shadows,
Staring out into the blue.

Ah-Young Dana Park is a high school student in Boston, Massachusetts. Her poetry often explores memory, interiority, and fleeting moments. Beyond her writing pursuits, Dana enjoys singing, painting, and exploring other artistic fields.