i'm adrift in an ocean destined to fill my lungs
with saline breaths
i expell frothy-mouthed howls
tumultuous
thrashing on the shore
grit and razor sharp
abrasions barely register
mortal flesh holds only grief
swallowed up with the tide
i tumble once more
pulled deeper
pressure mounting
darker and colder
numb, feeling, silent, still screaming
violent bubbles shoot for the surface
a mournful sign i'm yet living
awaiting calmer waters
with the rising moon