Friday 55 & Da Count-Near Drowning

FRIDAY 55

*image from deviantart.com

Silent descent
drifting downward
where water's embrace lulls me
in the gentle pull of gravity
until my lungs burn
I beg for air
panic
and reach
for sunlight
to grasp only aquamarine
see the last few bubbles
rising from my lips
escaping to the surface
as I swallow blackness
and the sunless deep
engulfs me

DA COUNT

The 55 is a repost from well over a year ago.  Interesting to note that I wrote it just a month or so before I had any idea just how bad things would get around here.  I wrote it mostly as a fictional piece at that time inspired by the artwork posted with it but there were some rough things going on at that time.  I just never posted about them.  However, after the many hits we all took from May 2010 through June 2011, there were times when I felt like I was drowning.

Now you must understand that, unlike what we see in the movies, someone in imminent danger of drowning does not flail about wildly as they scream for help.  Those who are about to slip under the water for the last time are generally quiet and barely floating in the water just around mouth or nose level.  They don't have any energy left to call out or flail.  Hence, it is crucial that a lifeguard be well trained in recognizing the silent signs of distress and be vigilant about scanning the water for those in need of help.  

This is what leads to my count.  There were days this past year when I felt I might go under, days when I didn't have the energy to ask for help.  There are some specific individuals in my 3-D life and here in Bloggy Land who were looking out for me and who reached out in a myriad of ways when I needed it and helped me find the shore again. I'm not going to go naming names today but just know that I am profoundly grateful.

May the waters always be warm and calm for each of you, but if they grow dark and stormy, I hope I prove to be the kind of friend to you that you've been to me.