I could not pull back
from the forest in your eyes
the ocean in your mouth
the trees' dulcet sway and creak
the pull of the tide

I chose to wander
I chose to plunder
to shed myself
to lay bare my heart

and I thought
I was lost
I was drowned

but
the thicket, the deep
led me by the hand
held me up to the surface
not to find a way out
but to bask in this world
to trust in this embrace

I choose to not pull back
I choose to leap
with my naked soul
with my vulnerability

because I realize
I am loved
I am found