Riptide

I know, I know
The wave pulls you
Up along the face of it
And throws you back
Down to the bottom
The sand churning up from underneath
And the water below is cold,
Very cold,
And it's dragging you out to sea
You manage to get your head
Up over the water
You gasp for air and blink
And can see Catalina
Out in the distance
For a second before another wave takes
You up, spinning you again
And you look back at the shore
Getting smaller
Everyone seems so far away
And you can't hear yourself
Yelling over the roar of the ocean

I know all of this
Stop fighting it, I say
Stay below a second longer
And go with the current
Let it take you for awhile
It'll be okay
You'll come up beyond the breakwater
And you'll be able to breathe
Deeply, fill your lungs with air
And lay on your back for a minute
Look up at a clear blue sky
And just move with the current

These things, the water around you
The air you breathe
All they are is life
And you know how to move within them
You know it

Just catch your breath
And start swimming along the shoreline
It's quieter out here
I'm right next to you
Just swim to the sound of my voice
And you'll get where you want to be

I tell you all of this,
But you're not listening