I thought I was drowning,
but now I realize I’ve been treading water,
sure the waves have crashed down on me, water
flooding my mouth, but my head stayed high as I bobbed.
Now I know I’m drowning,
the lights shimmer otherworldly, no longer harsh to my eyes
the water is feeling warmer, in my mouth, laying on my lungs,
the weight of anxiety and stress---and water, that I can’t expel
The sound is no longer deafening, a low hum is building in my ears and
        the black swirls around my eyes and I am…gone