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Pura Vida
After a day of exhausting but rewarding labor
I veto the confines of a cleansing shower
To witness a fútbol game emerge on a makeshift field
When I saw the ageless members of the family race out to join a team
I stayed
The torn ball moves swiftly between brothers
The callouses of a hard day’s work mark their hands
As they swing against their sides
Trapped inside of mismatched shoes, their experienced feet
Maneuver around patchy grass and jagged rocks with ease
Each step and pass magnifies the lean muscles that envelop the tan flesh of the player’s legs
The handmade goals of carved branches embrace each powerful shot
Unaware of the teams or the score, I stand in awe
My heart and my eyes swell with emotion
Simplicity is all they know, all they need
Envy, an unexpected feeling, consumes my uplifted mind
Wishing it was this easy
Wishing I could live like them, with them
I long to have my own experienced feet
and calloused hands
and lean muscles
An indescribable sense of happiness devours me
Just by watching from the sideline is almost unbearable
Vulnerable tears slide down my dirt stained cheeks
When I saw them so carefree and peaceful
I changed
After my recent endeavour to Costa Rica with the organization World Challenge; My life was so immensely altered by the people and experiences I encountered. I thought the only way I could begin to explain the impact this trip truly had on my life was to write about it. Unfortunately this poem does not do this incredible moment justice, let alone the entire experience.