Shore Or Sea
I sit here thinking
Reading your words
A tingle starts to travel
From the hairs on my head
To the tips of my toes
My chest starts to heave
My heart start to race
My head starts to spin
Things twisting inside
Like a ocean tide
Crashing into me
Rolling over me
Taking me under
Taking me over
As I struggle to stay afloat
It consumes everything
Until I’m gasping for air
I try to catch my footing
To try to touch bottom
To find firm ground
Something safe
Something familiar
To find the shore
To be untouched
Where only the waves
Can just lap at my feet
Because I’m scared
To be out in the unknown
But the water feels so good
Just need to learn to swim
Open my eyes underneath
Let it engulf me
Let it toss me
Unfamiliar become familiar
To never look back
Wanting the sand on the shore
No need to touch bottom
To reassure me it’s there
Take comfort in the freeness
Of the everchanging tide
And to not be afraid
To float on my back
Trusting the wetness
Breathing slow and deep
Closing my eyes
Hearing the sounds
Smelling the salt
Feeling it surrounding me
Taking it all in
No longer wanting to fight
After fighting so long
After no one ever seeing
My SOS scrawled in the sand
Looking out over the water
Wishing to let go
What would it feel like
If I were no longer afraid
Of what I didn’t know
So I sit here reading
Feeling this wave
What it’s doing to me
As I pause briefly
To stretch out my arms
To start to kick my feet
And just learn to swim
|