Submerged.
Body and mind.
Both cold,
Both trapped,
Both searching for a way out.

Submerged.
One in the steaming water,
Clouding the air around me.
Everything but my eyes, nose, and mouth,
Are buried under the smooth, transparent liquid.
My body slowly relaxes,
Giving in to the temptation of peace and invincibility.
No sound reaches me but that of my own breathing,
Lulling me into a conscious slumber,
Feeling the need to never wake.

Submerged.
The other in thoughts of inescapable tragedy.
Thoughts of people,
Thoughts of the past, present, and future.
Once submerged in this horrible nightmare one calls reality,
It is often hard to find your way out.
These memories and events dig a pit in your stomach,
Until you think you’ve hit rock bottom,
And there is no stomach left to be devoured.
Then it happens,
Your heart takes another blow,
And you’re left thinking how much worse it is than believing you’ve hit rock bottom,
Because you felt so pitiful before,
And suddenly you find that you still have room to fall.

Submerged.
Body and mind.
Always trying to escape.
Rarely succeeding.
But once in a while a different word comes to mind.
One that may one day bring change.
Hope.
The hope that one day our minds will break free.
Break free into a land of white.
A land of happiness.
Hope keeps me going when all I feel is,
Submerged.