Issue Eight - February 2005

The Long Cry

By Lyra Dalton

I stand
Alone
A wind at my face
Nose
Uplifted
Toward the sky
I feel
A howl
Trembling
On the edge of my lip
The sound
Breaks free
A single note
A long
Long breath
Soaring high
I feel
Meaning
A reason for life
A sweet
Rush
Of warm air
Into
The freezing
Arctic tundra
A careful
Chord
In the deep blue sky
My shoulders
Back
Shuddering with emotion
My muscles
Tense
Straight and proud
I see
The land
The Birds
The clouds
And I open up
A wild call
A strong call
A call for freedom
A long, long call.

©2005 by Lyra Dalton

Lyra Dalton wrote The Long Cry when she was 12 years old. She lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest and loves to read and act. She loves challenges and to surprise people.

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