Do you feel like 

You are treading water 

Don’t give up

Fight through the pain 

The exhaustion 

Take a deep breath 

Sink if you need

Feel the womb of the ocean 

Comfort you

It’s ok to go under

For a second

Hold your breath

Feel the water envelop you

Then…

Kick those legs

Pull yourself up

Come up for air

Take that breath 

Fight the fatigue

Remember hope

Remember love

Remember life 

I know your tired

It would be so easy

To let go

Sink

Remember home

Remember love

Remember loss

All the things that made you strong

It’s ok to go under

For a second

Hold your breath

Feel the water envelop you

Then…

Kick those legs

Pull yourself up

Come up for air

Take that breath 

Fight the fatigue

Remember hope

Remember love

Remember life

A rescue boat

May never come

You’re on your own 

And that’s okay 

You may feel

Unprepared for what’s ahead

Afraid of the unknown 

Afraid of drowning 

The anchor 

Feels heavy

Around you

Pulling you down 

It’s ok to go under

For a second

Hold your breath

Feel the water envelop you

Then…

Kick those legs

Pull yourself up

Come up for air

Take that breath 

Fight the fatigue

Remember hope

Remember love

Remember life

Fight the current

You can push through 

It’s only water 

It’s only life

It’s painful

But it’s also hope

It’s love

It’s worth it

It’s ok to go under

As long as you 

Kick those legs

Pull yourself up

Come up for air

Take that breath 

Fight the fatigue

Remember hope

Remember love

Remember life

And Breathe

When Fact is Fiction 

How do you know 

What you see and feel

Is anything but real

A kiss 

A touch

And such

A loss

A tear

A fear

Loving embraces

Heart races

Dream chases

Eyes open

We’re copin’

No dopin’

Is it fact

Is it fiction

Or just introspection 

45

Almost there

What does that mean

I’m not where I

Thought I’d be

I did not expect

A suicide attempt

One or more

Rehabilitation stays

Jobs upon jobs

Figuring out

Who I am

Who I’m supposed to be

Fired for the first time

In my many pursuits

Am I stopping myself

Am I in my own way?

I don’t feel okay

I don’t feel right

I don’t know what’s going on

I don’t know what mask to don

I act

I apply

I try so hard

I’m lost in myself

I’m wrong for the part

The position, the role

I try so hard

I’m still the black swan

I won’t give up

Figuring out

Who I am

Not put on a shelf

Like a book

Or a journal

With words

Or none

I will

Find out

Who I am

For once and for all

I will write

I will sing

I will be with myself

One on one

The heartbreak

The tears, and pain

Are all I am and

I will not fall

I will over come

I will pursue

I will love again

I will continue to hope

For more than I am

For more than I can be

For all that I want

For all that is to be

I want for more

I need to be

One who lives

One who can cope

To be

To be

To be

The truest me

BW’24