Earth Diver

[amazon_syren]

Earth Diver

Looks like calm water on the surface
Still pool, world-drowning, reflecting
endless sky
Nothing to see here but the clouds

Only clouds

But Everyone knows
still waters run deep

somewhere down there
amid the lobsters and the
weird, eyeless things (all tentacles and blindness)
somewhere down there
is land

not solid
nothing you could stand on
(even if you could take the pressure of an ocean on your shoulders,
Even if you could take the chill)
no
down there it’s waterlogged, thick muck
that sucks you under
holds you
gasping
airless
in the depths

but you can’t tread water for ever
sooner or later you’ll sink like a stone

sooner or later

so breathe
suck that air into your lungs like its your last
breath
take it in, deep as you can and
deep as you can
dive
d
o
w
n

down,
down,
past the edge of light
past the numbness in fingers and feet and
deeper
deeper
past the frightening fish,
jaws that snap in the dark
lungs aching
deeper
deeper
into the depths
amid the lobsters and the eyeless things (all tentacles and blindness)
into the muck that once was the world

dredge it up
silt swirling

take it in your hands
more icy slime than earth
that once was the world

take it though your lungs are failing
though the heat in your body is failing
take it though blind and numb with cold
(shards prick your fingers, but you know you’ve got something now)
Take it in your hands
And turn

somewhere there is light
somewhere up
beyond the lobsters and the eyeless things (all tentacles and blindness)
there is air

nothing to push off of
only the threat of being trapped here
no air
no sight
no warmth
for ever
gives you strength to turn,
to climb


climb, climb,
arms straining,
dizzy, head spinning
blue-black bursting behind your eyes
can you even find 'up' from this far down?

climb
climb
you can go a little farther
a little farther
a little
farther
for all that your heart feels
too weak to go on

climb
a little farther
though the blood is pounding
climb
past the frightening fish
the jaws that snap in the dark
climb
a little farther
up
past the pain in blood-throbbing fingers
past the needles in skin long-frozen
climb
higher
a little bit farther
up
past the edge of night

break the surface

warmth of sunlight
breath of life
gasping
in your battered lungs

and in your hand
a clutch of land
to stand on.