Faster swim,

Against the rushing current,

Water inhaled,

Panic induced by the lack of breath,

Flailing arms reach desperately for the surface,

Eyes roll and twitch in stinging pain.

Screams of liquid,

Not heard by murky stones that stab bare feet,

Thrashings in all directions,

Burning throat full of the icy ocean.

At last a fingertip breaks through,

To the cold air above,

And a frantic arm pulls up.

And last to breath

And choke and gasp

Beneath a trillion stars in a frozen sky
Though slowly, slowly,

Returns the calmly beating heart,

And now I float in night,

And feel the seaweed tangle in my feet,

Only black skies and waters to see,

And the wonderful, beautiful air.