Down the River

Across the riverbed; there’s bloodshed; blood shed

A Poem by Aurelie Msiza

Very few people who’ve gone down the river

have made it back.

I’ve always known that.

You go across the river–

to make some friends,

(it’s not lonely there),

but it’s cold.

I’ve been across the river one, two… too many times.

I’m still searching for a lifeline–

I mean,

an adventure of a lifetime.

The current pulls harder, every time.

I try,

cross–

and cut through the waves.

When I fail,

I start over again:

cut and cut and cut and cut–

forging a path.

This relief… is temporary.

It won’t last.

I’m going down the river today–

and I might not make it back.

But then again,

I’ve always known that.

Bio

Down the River is a poem about pushing through life’s struggles and searching for

meaning, even when the journey feels tough. The way the lines are broken up and the

use of pauses, dashes, and repetition make the poem feel like a river, with its stops and

starts, twists and turns. It captures the feeling of going on, even when the outcome is

uncertain.