Moon River - By: Hayden Malabre

People told me I smelled of salt motifs.

My scent reminds me of the rose gardens in fairytales.

The very thing that transports me back,

I gaze upon my window, asking myself questions.

Who am I?

The autumn breeze filled with red falling leaves hit my face.

The London skyline, filled with the most recognizable of buildings.

Ben, Buckingham,

Then you have me.

We like dolls with white lace and pink frills.

I like dolls with blue lace and brown frills.

The ones that feel of old cotton with each detail grazing my fingers,

They make fun of me, cascading my thoughts with rivers of despair.

I grew up,

Filling my plates with food,

Combing my wigs with brushes,

Horse brushes, not human ones.

My name is Wendy.

I long for nothing more.

Nothing more,

Then a moon river—salt and lace drifting down the ocean,

Moon River.

Please give a detailed explanation about the meaning and main idea of this poem.

Moon River is a poem detailing the explanation of three key points: blending in, nonconformity pain, and longing for adventure. Wendy is a girl in 1930s London who wants nothing more than to become a natural, accepted woman. She constantly questions who she is and is becoming as she searches for self-acceptance in a world that critiques her for being different. Her hairbrush resembles that of a horse, rather than human. Her dolls resemble colours of calmness rather than innocence. She ultimately finds her resolution in the form of a moon river. The poem sets up this rigid struggle by contrasting famous structures, like Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, with people like herself. We learn the details of her life and what makes her "different," but in reality she is just a girl. As the poem transitions, we lean away from struggle and towards the idea of a moon river ending. This place can be reconciliation, peace, acceptance, or anything the reader wants it to be. The poem isn't meant to be read one time; it is meant to be read multiple times, uncovering secrets every time you read it to discover your own self.

Please explain your writing and thought process regarding this poem.

I really struggled with how to approach this poem. I wrote the first line that came into my head: "People told me I smelled of salt motifs." I'll never forget when I smelled a salt mine for the first time, and it transported me somewhere. Somewhere only one could describe. I wanted to capture the loneliness and down-to-earthiness of a little girl. One thing our world struggles with is our identity; it's always changing. This is also where the idea of blending in comes from. In so many people's journey with identity, it always stems from the idea of blending in. Wendy is no different; she wants to be like the other girls. She thought she smelled like rose gardens like the others do. But the girls smell salt motifs off of her instead. Upon writing, I realized everything connects to each other, which is why I connected salt to rose gardens and bullying to waves of despair. It led me to think outside of the box on ways I could motivate Wendy's emotions and how she evolves as she grows older. One thing I want to touch on is depression; while not explicitly stated, she goes through it as she grows up. After that, the idea of Moon River came after listening to an instrumental piece of it. It reminded me of a journey, with ups and downs like going on an adventure. I would want nothing more than to have a life like that, which is told through Wendy.

Why did you choose to write this poem?

I chose to write this poem after seeing my doll with its head towards the window looking out into the world. I had never thought about it until this moment, but who is she? What does her story look like? Does she have thoughts? Does she have anything? We see everyone play with toys when they are younger, but what about when they get older? What do they become: ash in the air or real people? Wendy was that doll in this story. She is a real person, but seeing my doll encouraged me to tell a story about a girl seeking everything in life.

Do you have any tips or anything to share with the youth writers who may be reading this?

Never forget who you are, even in a world of stagers.