Returning to the shore
brought feelings poles apart
Relief, on sensing with my feet
the familiar, safe, solid ground,
and release from the constant wobble
as the gentle unrest of the waters
dissolves.

Out there,
the undulating waves,
in a million mobile mirrors,
reflect the open skies.
Soft clouds in long streaks
cross the expanse above,
waiting for a final brushstroke
from the fading light
And when I stared long enough
at a blank patch of night sky,
it slowly filled with stars,
loosening the grip of survival mode
on my mind.

Time slowed its demands.
Thoughts floated in to land,
traversed cobwebbed alleys,
and breached sealed bunkers
I never knew I had,
creating transient niches,
for me to congeal
and fortify.

A beautiful rawness unveiled itself,
not as chaos,
but as Calm
vast, patient, comforting.

In that suspended space,
I observed without seeking,
reflected without effort,
and drifted freely
from the profound to the ordinary,
finding both
no different.

And when the shore finally appeared,
I returned to a perception of safety,
carrying with me
an unexpected windfall:
a brief illumination
of the darkened levels of my mind.