Another Downer…  

Drifting down the trough of depression
My common sense sputters and coughs,
Choking on civilization's churning brine.
Panicked, I seek something to cling to -
Anything that will hold my head above
The whirling eddies of murkiness-

I scan the horizon for a preserver of any form:
Some driftwood of society
That will aid me in treading water which
Is much - much thinner than blood-
And oh, so much colder…

Already I have twice descended these
Depths…now despairingly,
My arms grow tired from signaling to the
Ship that will arrive too late
And the plane that banks in the opposite direction.
My last flare has flashed its frantic brilliance.
My legs tire as muscles contract from the chill-
And over exertion of so much kicking…

The swells increase in amplitude-
Land is no longer in sight-
And as the sun bids goodnight-
I scream "THREE" into the starless night
And go down for the final time,
Seeking solace in the cradling arms
Of the rolling sea…

© 2007 Tim Cusack