I stare into the ripple in still water
I take one last breath
I push my self into its epicenter

As I slip beneath the surface
I panic
flailing my arms and legs
for I cannot swim
But the water seems to expand
as it engulfs me
The water greets my eyes
and I see clearly

my muscles relax
My legs fuse together
My feet grow flat and wide

I am running out of oxygen
But I feel the benevolence
all around me.
I trust myself
Opening my mouth wide
water rushes down my throat
into my lungs
and out the freshly forming slits on my neck

I swim
I swim
I swim

what a perfect escape
no need to return to the surface
not for any air
not for any person
In these ripples of still water
I can simply be
who I have chosen to be