Perspective

Perspective

the world goes quiet

as I hang weightless

suspended in cool summer water

sunlight flashes

in dappled catch-me-if-you-can playfulness

muted clumps of undergrowth welcome me

with undulating eelgrass

    come closer

    stay

the silence

profound as death

wraps me in a cocoon

of indecision

is this how you felt

locked in your car in the garage

carbon monoxide lulling you to sleep

in spite of myself

I rise slowly

through the hazy amniotic ambiance

lungs vice-tight

legs kicking to the beat of my heart

arms stroking desperate angel wings

as I break the surface

and breathe

           —Katherine McLeod Searle

              17 July 2014