space we feel inside us
is the space a survivor sees
as he swims endlessly toward a place
where he might put his feet down
and take an easy breath. For now
the sheer distance means a long time
he must hurt himself enough to tow
his own weight and not give up.
Why, he asks in each stroke,
and in each stroke pain is felt,
muscles do their work, and he thinks
of no one else. Is this what’s meant
when we look into ourselves and feel
nothing but the urge to go on? The sun
goes down. He sees nothing. It’s calm.
Leave a Reply