The Experience

A poem by Iris Vienna Yates

Salt gathering in my eyelashes

Sand between my toes

Water running across my fingers

Sun beating down on my face

The ocean treating me kindly

The sweet waves forming gently

People surrounding me

Sounds loud, music on

Sky bright and blue, the perfect hue

Surfing on the waves

My board slightly dipping under

Causing a scare

The waves lifting me back up

Sailing in tranquility

Then

Violently ruptured

Sky turning dark

Deep clouds rolling in

My board falls from beneath me

Falling and falling

The waves did not catch me.

Electric shocks freezing

Salt and sand burn my eyes

Rapidly swimming for the surface

Fallen so far down

Touching the deep ocean sand

Currents are thrashing above

Lashing out, the ocean screams

Pressure building.

Building.

Building.

Building.

Building.

Building.

Falling down.

Down.

Down.

Down.

Down.

Deeper beneath the surface

Everything grows dark

With no air left to breathe

Limbs giving out

Lungs filling with salt

Thrusting your arms

Kicking your legs

Your last chance

The waves calm

The tides slow

The sand sinks

Waves pick you up

Carrying you closer and closer to the surface

Your lungs crave the sweet air

You didn’t realize you would ever come to miss

Slowly brought above the rough waters

You can finally breathe.

But nothing is the same

The sky that was once blue

Shines a soft shade of pink

The sand is no longer fine

But small, smooth pebbles

The people shift

Water dripping from the ends of your hair

You repeat,

Nothing is the same.

But after all you have been through

It would be terrifying

If you re-emerged into the same world.