pura vida

The plane descended, a bright, exhilarating dive

Into the green, where everything felt alive

Costa Rica, a postcard come true

A siren’s call, a vibrant, dazzling hue

My heart, a hummingbird, fluttering and fast

A grand adventure that finally had surpassed

The endless planning, the hopeful, burning wish.

The sweet, sweet promise in a stranger’s kiss

Of freedom found beneath the tropic sun

I was happy then, the journey had begun

———————————————————————————-

The days are painted in a blinding, emerald light

The surf rolls in, a constant, rhythmic might

The coffee’s rich, the air is thick and sweet

With frangipani blossoms scattered at my feet

I smile and nod, “Hola,” a practiced, foreign grace

A friendly mask I wear upon my face

I walk the crowded, sun-drenched, dusty street

Surrounded by a rhythm I can’t meet

A wall of language, a culture tight and deep

And all the promises my lonely heart can’t keep

———————————————————————————-

The jungle shouts, a million unseen calls

While silence echoes through my empty walls

I see my family, see their blurry faces

A ghost of comfort in familiar places

The initial joy, that sharp and blazing flare

Has guttered low into a cold despair

I look out at the beautiful, wild sea

And all its endless scope just mirrors me

I am so lonely now, the smiles are hard to fake

My heart is heavy for the life I had to forsake

A foreign beauty, in a foreign land

With no one here who truly understands

The Pura Vida is all around, I know

But I can only watch its joyous river flow.