i'm surrounded in a tight wrap of coldness the air is tight the water low there's nowhere to go if only i could break through the surface swim up or out or somewhere, with purpose i’m pulled even lower and my head abides i sneak a vast breath as my whole world divides i want out i want through it won’t end it must do i breathe in and notice the water i win i am calm the waves slow down i feel my breath as my feet hit the ground
Artist Statement: This poem is inspired particularly by anxiety and how our immense, overwhelming feelings become so realistic and act as a trap on us. This poem is set in the water as water is a place of extreme density and pressure, which I think pretty closely resembles feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or in other cases of anxious energy. I attempt to highlight, at the end of the poem, that, in many cases, we have to settle with anxious thoughts and learn to be okay with them. Our “feet hit the ground” once we realize what we are experiencing and try to find a way through it (captivated by the phrase “I win” - as in, I beat anxiety).