little girl on a golden isle

i'm a little girl on a golden isle

running the halls

of that old hotel

tasting an exotic kind

of freedom

that haunts me

to this day

you asked the boy

with the surfboard

to give me a ride

in the deep end

of the swimming pool

the morning water so cold

and i was so afraid

but more afraid

of disappointing you

you hated to fly

and yet you hired a plane

to take us over the island

i felt the mix of

fear and butterflies

until i saw them

the wild horses

running on the beach below us

and i was enchanted

never wanted that ride to end

thank you for that gift

was that your secret

to feel the fear

and do it anyway

i learned to swim

in the deep end

now

i'm learning to fly