My best friend, author and poet Bruce Balan and his wife sail around the world in their trimaran. Bruce and I email an original poem to each other every day.

This joint poem was published in A KICK IN THE HEAD selected by Paul B. Janeczko (Candlewick Press 2009)

(The internet can play havoc with the alignment of a poem.  In order to align this poem properly, I am separating the words with dots.  In the book, there is simply blank space.)

I AM STANDING – Girl on Land, Boy at Sea
by April Halprin Wayland and Bruce Balan

Girl on Land…………………….Boy at Sea
I am standing…………………….I am standing
feet apart……………………………feet apart
hands on hips……………………..hands on hips
bare feet……………………………..bare feet

in damp grass
………………………………………….on wood deck

rooted, rooted

to the earth………………………moving, moving
…………………………………………with the waves

I am………………………………….I am
climbing
…………………………………………climbing

up this……………………………….up this
tree

…………………………………………mast

swaying
…………………………………………swaying

with the wind……………………..with the wind
to and fro
…………………………………………..to and fro

sparrows, jays, crows,
…………………………………………..pelicans, gulls, terns,

and blossoms all around
……………………………………………and white caps all around

climbing
……………………………………………..climbing

up this tree
………………………………………………up this mast

in our yard
………………………………………………on our boat

in this town
……………………………………………….in this sea

in my world………………………………in my world.

published in A KICK IN THE HEAD selected by Paul B. Janeczko (Candlewick Press 2009)

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