"Swiftly Flowing" by Chris, 17 | Yellowstone National Park

Swiftly flowing before blind eyes
The ocean is my silent prize
I race and race as fast as I can
Stopping isn't in my plan
By day I'm cold and plain as ever
At night I'm rarely seen if ever
I have a side that few have seen
as complex as my water is clean
I deal with things you've never been through
You're brave to even wear my shoe
One step in mine is terrifying
But never worth quitting trying.
Challenges I'm sure to face
For these, I pray and quietly brace
But no apprehension crosses my mind
Not once or twice or at any time
It all works out every second every day
Over and over the events will play
But as hard as it gets I won't leave . . . I'll stay.

About Chris: "My name is Chris. I'm 17 years old and live in Plainfield, IL. I came to Northwest Passage to work on some problems I've created in my life, such as drugs, fighting, and poor anger management. I feel this program has helped me immensely. Getting to learn photography was one of the best parts of the program here. I learned so much, and I have a new lifetime hobby. Yellowstone is amazing. It shows us a world where cities aren't spitting out pollutants, and there is no crime to worry about. It's natural. Untouched. I hope we can keep it that way."