#it will be okay
All At Sea
There’s a storm brewing out there,
in the dark of periphery.
I can taste the spray, feel the wind,
smell the breath of the beast as it comes…
My mind is all at sea;
my anxiety comes in waves arching
twenty feet or more and I am alone
trying to steer my broken boat back
to some semblance of a harbour:
She’s got a cracked hull and split sails
trying to fly on a halved mast. The beast
is hungry for more than my ship can feed it.
Her anchor is sunk far beneath the depths
content only to steady what sand it settles in whilst I
battle to keep my head above water.
Sometimes these storms get so dark, the wind
gets loud that every wave sounds like hounds baying
for your blood. And if the beast has marked you
for death by drowning how can you outrun it
when there’s nowhere to hide.
The oceans are where storms are born after all…
but also almost always where they die.
I can’t remember dawn now, though I try.
I know daybreak will split the sky - the sun
will come. I’ve just got to ride out the night.
The beast is not unbeatable.
I’ve watched him cower, heard his whimpers as I have forced him back.
I don’t feel it in my clenched teeth, but my bark
is stronger than his bite.
I know this.
And for a while, the howling does not seem
quite so loud.
I see you. I love you. I’m so glad you’re here.
.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1(800)-273-8255
.
The Trevor Project for LGBTQ+ youth - 1(866)-488-7386
.
For international assistance, suicidestop.com has a list of international hotlines for a variety of countries.
“Maybe I’ll be okay.
Without your smile
Your easy company.
Maybe I’ll be okay,
without your little laugh
and the warmth of your affection
blanketing me.
Maybe I’ll be okay
without your name on my phone
Day After Day.
Maybe I’ll be okay
Without you.”
- Hold tight.