And as I

Took that one

Last fateful step

Wading farther out

Then ever before

The sandbar gave

Way to canyon

Pulling me under

With only the

Filtering shimmering sun

Showing me which

Direction was up

Like a whale

Cold darkness tried

To swallow me

But my legs

And arms flailed

In panic of

Dying rising me

Higher until at

Last I popped

Like a bobber

Above the water

When hope cast

As a rope

Was thrown by

Friends to me

And they and

Not me brought

Me back to

Them for yes

I had wandered

Foolishly beyond myself

But they knew

Where I belonged

It’s only ever

After not necessarily

Happily ever after

When I awaken

To something new

Around the old

Me like an

Ice storm coating

Everything in a

Brittle tender mask

Weighing me down

And snapping things

Like heart strings

Plucked from outside

Inside making thudding

Dead sounds like

That other shoe

That I’ve been

Waiting to drop

When friends rush

In like tiny

Firemen carrying buckets

Of water to

Not douse but

Free me from

My now icy

Self taking me

Back to someplace

Safe and warm

Sans the ice

Plucking then those

Same strings making

Them sing again

Now with laughter