Drowning

a spoken word piece I wrote about love and fear

I was eight when I first learned how to drown

I came to know what is was like

for your feet to never reach the ground

body dancing for air

the pressure in your chest

A siren song to surrender to the dark

I was eight when I first learned to fear being in over my head

I conditioned myself to approach life like I learned to approach water

one inch at a time

dipping my toes to feel the cold

keeping my head above the tide

making sure my palms never turned into hands that were ready to hold

leaving my heart at the shore

no one was worth drowning for

until I meet you

you'll make me want to learn how to drown in you

to venture out into your waves,

walk upon your waters

float in the ocean of your eyes

cast away the safety of my pride

helpless to your currents

Your love will crash into me and I won't put up my fists to defend

instead I'll let myself bend

my body a treasure for you to claim

you'll part my seas

until all that is left is your name

sink me down into your arms

You'll teach me that love is not going under

It's me fighting to reach your fingers

it's me gasping for your presence

to take that breath of relief

only to lose it again

When you lips are on my skin

Maybe your love won't feel like drowning at all

Maybe loving you won't feel like falling

Or flying

Or speeding

Loving you won't feel like any of my deepest fears

Loving you will feel like coming home instead

to clean sheets and a warm bed

With a feast prepared for two

Loving you will feel right

like a puzzle coming together

or two birds of a feather

Loving you will feel like I have no reason to fear the water

Loving you will make me want to swim into the unknown

Loving you will be falling out of a plane and landing on my feet

Loving you will be everything I’ve ever wanted love to be

Loving you will be drowning in love

And I'll surrender to your deep