I shiver in the wake of the sea,
    splintered shells beneath my feet,
    study my fading footprints
    and count the waves that fall

    I have pockets of air in my lungs,
    that escape whenever I open my hands,
    but I never have any space to release my breath
    and no direction for it to travel in

    I think I see an island in the distance,
    but what if my hunger is distorting my sight
    I long to feel the connection of sun on my skin
    I cannot reach it without leaving the water

    This mirage of moving pieces
    of dancing images that blur in perfect connection,
    my hand trembles in hollow starvation
   the pictures vanish, but at least for a moment they had a place

    Maybe the pictures are illusions of memories,
    of voices that told me which direction to swim,
    but are now the sting of salt in my eyes
    as I push through the whispering wind

    The sand is solid once again beneath my feet,
    water stretches like a rubber band before me,
    I am dry and full of promises, which makes me wonder,
    if I was ever in the water at all
    but maybe that was just an illusion.