Hydro Queen

Hydro Queen

A poem by Karly Rodriguez

I have a secret to tell you
I have found the Eighth Sea
It’s within me
Yes, I am the Hydro Queen.

Sailing on my ship
Crashing over waves
Steering with precision through whatever comes my way
Leading my crew to your shores

The cabin shakes and I warn them of the impending storm –
They look at the blue sky
and laugh

Suddenly, the sea swells
Flooding the ship and pulling us down
Sending us in a spiral as the ocean swallows us up
Crashing us violently against the sandy floor

Slowly I peel my frozen hands off the helm
No use in steering now
I may look like a Queen, but I’m not so sure I like this crown anymore
It’s grown heavy over the years.

A door flies open and hundreds of yellow butterflies emerge
Releasing with them all that was stowed away
The ship creaks and we begin to float upward
Breaking through the sea we sway twice and balance perfectly on the surface

I taste air for the first time and a tear steals away
Mixing with sea water down my cheeks

I surrender to the deck with my face towards the sun
I have never felt more royal

I let them take the wheel for now
I’ve got nothing to prove
They’ll be amazed what I can do on dry land

Our map may have washed away but I know the trip by heart
I will never stop sailing to you.

 This poem is written by Karly Rodriguez, copyright © 2014.

About the Author: Karly Rodriguez

I am a 27 year old Mental Health Counselor from New York City. I was diagnosed in September of 2012 with congenital hydrocephalus (Aqueduct Stenosis). I wrote this poem one month before I had brain surgery (ETV). I believe it is no coincidence that my experience mirrored the poem. Following surgery, after months of struggling to walk and feeling like I was on a boat, my world finally stopped spinning-in more ways than one.