On the Waves

by Gennadiy S., age 19

Our ship was tossed
By the Atlantic waves
We were on a trip to America
On the Atlantic waves

And then we came to Astoria on horseback
And built homes and began a new life
But I always hear in my dreams
Those Atlantic waves

And now I sit on the mountain
Near my house
Near my new neighbors
And look at the Pacific waves

[Editor's note: This poem is the result of an English class project examining local history through literature. After reading poetry, fiction and non-fiction representing various groups who lived in or came to Oregon in the 1700s and 1800s, youth were asked to write a poem from the perspective of one of the residents or newcomers.]