Life Preserver
Escaping the depths of the murky lake,
leg-kicking upward in frantic haste,
arms grasp for purchase
in what surely will be my watery grave.
Head breaks the surface,
lungs gulp for precious air,
burning, aching subsides,
drown-panic-dying moment passes.
Another failed attempt by me
to prove I am not aqua phobic.
So reminiscent of our years together
as I flail in the waters of regret
for sticking with you
for better or worse – mostly worse,
suffocating from my fear of you.
You stand on the shore
of Lake Verbal Abuse
while I flounder
in the depths of inadequacy,
never doing enough to please you.
I don my mental life vest,
swimming away from your cruel intentions.
Embracing the water’s cool surface,
its buoyancy, its life-giving waves,
I float my way to freedom —
if only in my mind.
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