I am not interested in drowning,

drowning in the water meant for adults.

You might have grown as tall as them;

you can stand in the water and not drown.

But the moment you slip,

you didn’t know how to swim.

You think your pearl is ready

until you realize

you are still a pearl-less oyster.

But by the time you break yourself open,

It's already too late.

Now you don’t have time,

as you will realize that you have lost your mate.

You felt deep waves of love, joy, and serenity,

the Seahorse you promised your forever to.

By the time you’ll realize,

the forever couldn’t last a single wave

that you both promised to every night.

Soon you’ll open your eyes;

you survived the wave, but you didn’t realize

you are no longer even in your own control.

Maybe you never were,

but what was—

was not stepping into the water.