Water

A sudden flood of emotions act as weight at my ankles, and I'm unexpectedly dragged beneath the surface. I feel my limbs tighten as if I were bound before being thrown to sea. Holding precious air, I process the confusion. I had no idea. I'm caught off guard. Blinding sunlight peers through the current and slowly fades away. Darkness envelops my being. Bubbles of oxygen float gently to the surface. I crave their freedom. 

Consciousness seems to slip away silently like dew drops down a blade of grass at dawn. Sweet release can't be far. Trusting the return of light, I let go. It's not easy. I want to fight. I want to argue. I want to plead my case. I want to see. I want to hear. I want feel understanding. I want to love. I want to laugh. I want to kiss your face. To be seen, to be heard, to be understood, to know that I can never be replaced. Security. 

Refill my lungs with air. Offer back the life that's being taken as I sink into the depths. Further still, and more lightheaded, something creeps in. Is it the sun? It is not. I feel cold. There is clarity, though. Completely immersed in a free fall, I find strength...I am not bound, I am not drowning, and I am not hopeless. I'm only quite the opposite of all those things. With this, I allow myself to return to a sense of normalcy. Acknowledging the power of this element, the flood subsides and becomes gratitude - light, cool, and refreshing. Until we swim again.