Treading Souls

We’ve met before—
Past the shorebreak/
Beyond the waves/
Outside the currents
—treading—
The souls of us,
The ghosts of them
Preserved
By tired arms, weary legs
(pseudo-scratching, quasi-clawing)
In uncharted ocean
With no land in sight
—drowning—

We survived together,
Our heads above water
—treading, treading—
Avoiding contact,
As the thrashing of them
Could overtake us
—drowning, drowning—

We waited to inhale
As the rolling surface
Waxed and waned,
Us up, them down
—treading, treading, treading—
Until the tides turned tranquil—
We mustered our strength;
They sustained the struggle:
More storms/more sharks/more sadness
—drowning, drowning, drowning—

And we swam to the vacant horizon;
And they prayed for rescue;
And here we are
Embracing/
Living/
Catching our breaths.