Drowning

DROWNING

The 4th of July.
A reluctant trip.
A promise  to keep.
Wife and kids on the shore.
I swim on a troubled soul.
"What if I just let go?"
"What if I slip beneath the waves?"  
On I swim until I know
I am beyond my mortal soul.
Waves wash over me. 
It is time to go.
Losing my hold I let go.
"Wait! I don't want to die."
This fatal swim is my folly.
An attempt to heal my temporal soul.
I swim for shore wasting fast.
I don't  know if my strength will last.
I reach for the ground beneath
but slip instead farther into the deep.
Gasping, I return in to the sultry air.
weaker now than before
choking on  the pleasant waters.
I hear myself pray, 
"Let me live another day."
Life is better with all of its ills
than to lie beneath the windy waves.
I fight the waves with desperate hope .
I fight to survive.
The gentle waves are no longer so
but towering mountains stealing breath.
I am drowning.
I fight to swim.
I fight to live.
Choking.
Gasping.
"O God help me!"
Suddenly I am a religious man
praying as hard as I can.
I search for the ground but sink again
into the murky deep.
My eyes are wide in terror
like some frightened horse.
Falling faster ever faster
to a watery tomb.
With one last gasp and a frantic stroke
I inch closer to the shore.
I am finished.
I can't go on.
I let go.
My feet touch the ground
my head above the waves.
"What? I'm alive!" 
Grateful I swim to the shore
where ignorant of my fight
my wife and children enjoy the day.
I fall down upon dry ground crying tears of relief.
In that moment of greatest joy
with my battle fresh inside.
I look at my wife
who calmly sighs,
"What kind of sandwich do you want?"

Copyright © | Year Posted 2014



Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Be the first to comment on this poem. Encourage this poet.

Get a Premium Membership
Get more exposure for your poetry and more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Reflection on the Important Things

Member Area

My Admin
Profile and Settings
Edit My Poems
Edit My Quotes
Edit My Short Stories
Edit My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder

Soup Social

Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us

Member Poems

Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread

Member Poets

Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest

Famous Poems

Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100

Famous Poets

Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War

Poetry Resources

Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
Store
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter
Hide Ad