Current

Clear tides are hiding nothing tonight
Swirling about my feet
Rising past my ankles
Then tickling my knees
Slowly 

Sometimes the river recedes a little
But this portage isn’t over yet
So I continue to fight the current

Sometimes deeper
Water up to by belly
Rising
Past my chest
Higher
Pressing on my throat
Until I fear I will suffocate any day now
If I can’t learn how to float 

I can’t always be heading downstream
Where it’s easy
When home is in the other direction 

I’m supposed to go home
But it’s so much work
It’s so far upstream
And I’m already so tired 

I’m so damn tired of fighting the current

September 11, 2025