There’s a bird on the edge of the net
She’s been all she can be
She’s stingy with her wisdom
One day she spoke to me
“I’ve seen trees from beneath and above
I’ve seen kings be scorned and beloved
I’ve seen things that can’t be explained
But none as plain as quicksand
Men in troves roll in to gawk
Walking trails they shouldn’t walk
Convinced the path ahead is sound
It is made of quicksand
They drone on “it’s not that deep”
Watching fellowmen who seep
Miles down from solid ground
Down into the quicksand
There’s a girl from round the dell
With a secret she must tell
She will never be the same
No one thinks it’s quicksand
Final breaths on drawn out bills
Wrung out necks on southern hills
Scold the babe whose fresh eyes cry
Seeing all the quicksand
They will turn a blind eye oft
Loving hard and hitting soft
Many dare to call it scarce
Do beware the quicksand”
Alexandria Scott is a second year English student at Kennesaw State University. She is passionate about using poetry to articulate abstract concepts as accurately as possible. Her poem serves as social commentary on specific aspects of society, using animals to convey different perspectives.