A Drowning Man

“I always like walking in the rain, so no one can see me crying.”

Charlie Chaplin

Everyone longs for a sunny day

Yet it's the rain that bring forth growth

Awakening seeds

Magically bursting forth

Everyone prays for the sun to shine

Yet showers clear the sky

From overburdened lungs

And blood shot eyes

Everyone waits for the blue skies of summer

Yet storms preclude flowers

Rainbows, fresh breezes

A kaleidoscope of colors

Rain pelting my windshield I can barely see

Lungs filled with water I can barely breathe

Drowning in depths I can barely believe

Stark new realities I can barely conceive

Hard rain slaps my face

Intensifies the hurt as I pick up the pace

Trying to escape this painful chase

Rising waves, I’ve lost sight of the shore

Sinking deeper, through an invisible trap door

Learning to swim side to side

No longer fighting the ruthless riptide

Strength comes from the inside

Where miracles reside

I'm on a raft in the middle of the sea

No one can hear my desperate plea

Sharks surrounding

Sun stroke abounding

Salt water drowning

Hope desponding

Rescue far away

Can I last another day

Perfect timing seems like delay

The universe has its own way

I hope someone knows I'm still alive

I'm close to death, but I will survive

I’m

Breathtaking

Inspiring

Striking

But hope is more than rhyming

I’m

Brilliant

Talented

Exquisite

I’m more than resilient

My head goes under, sucking for air

It's the end, but I no longer despair

Finally peace, so rare

I take my last breath

Sinking in depths

I have sailed to great heights

But now it is night

Water fills my lungs

I hear a distant plunge

Embraced by rescuing arms

Grace responds to my silent alarm

Grace carries me to abandoned ground

She revives a man that’s drown

My eyes open, new possibilities abound

I can breathe again, forever I have found

“Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown!” Isaiah 43:1-2

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Four People, Four Lives