Where would I go if I could go across seas? I’d be in search of castle on a wide open plain. I’d walk the halls of kings and queens and climb the towers of royalty. I’d wonder what it’d be like to sit on their thrones. But then, I’d survey the ramparts and marvel at the drawbridge. I’d place my steps in the strides of soldiers and knights that defended with their lives. I’d let my mind tell it’s stories. A stable boy with a dream. A maiden with a warrior’s heart. I’d look to the bright sky and imagine the siege of a dragon. Finally, I’d stand atop the castle walls and look out across the plains. When I close my eyes, I’d imagine my kingdom, my country, where my feet can never tread. If only for that moment, high on castle walls, it would be real.
Back in the real world, if I could cross the seas, I’d go to Namibia. The zookeeper in me dreams to see the efforts of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF). See how they save a species by saving a people. Education and programs that benefit all. The world needs the cheetah and the CCF are they champions. Raising dogs to guard livestock, creating jobs to whack down thorny overgrowth encroaching the land, and creating bushblock for fuel. Then, reaching out to stop the illegal wildlife trade. Saving cubs stolen from their mothers. If I could cross the seas, I’d go to Namibia and learn how to do my part to help save the real world.
nikki diekemper 