I take a deep breath and my nose and mouth are filled with water.
My body is immobile.
I find myself sinking deeper and deeper.
I can see the sun scattering particles of light through the water.

I never should have gone in the water.
What was supposed to be
a nice swim
turned into water too deep for me to handle.

I find myself struggling to get back to the top
but something keeps dragging me down.
I think I should give up,
be done.

But instead I try one last time
to kick my feet.
The water chills me inside and out.
My clothes weigh heavy on my body.

Wishing I was anywhere but here,
I see the blazing sun
one last time.

I can feel each individual drop of water on my body.
Each drop a heavy burden,
causing me to sink deeper and deeper until all is dark.

The last of my air leaves my chest.

I see others
but they sit on the shore facing the other way.

Finally, I realize that I am done for-
that my fate is to drown in the water
that I chose to swim in.

Looking up one last time,
I inhale another breath of water
and sink to the very bottom of it all.