Bound by the Sea

Do you remember the time when you thought everything would be forever?

You don't realize how amazing it is to be free until you are not.

Privileged we remain until the hands of life close around our throats.
 
As we gasp for air, struggling to breathe, we begin to sink.

Down to the ocean floor, our sight can not adjust to this darkness.

Sea creatures come to life, changing despair into fright.

You forget what you even are, you look at your hands, you’re old.

But you can't see, you can’t see down there, not as you did before.

In those lungs remain your last good breath of air,
last taken on the beach, during your childhood fun.

However, you didn’t always play,
you were such a silly kid.

Sometimes you'd cry in the sand and ask for more,
oh boo hoo, why me?

What good could you do with sand on your feet,
scorching your toes, the cooling water is all you knew to dream.

As you look around, out to the sea, you envy their ability to go out and “swim”,
as they explained to you,
as they told themself.
 
Yet what you didn't understand was that you were just looking at 
the buoys of their anchored souls,
you saw,
you saw bouncing inflatables
rocking in the waves as you think they are cheering you on.

An ocean crashes on the beach and you hear their applause 
waving back at you!?!
Those inflatable arms wiggle high, free of mind, take to the sky!
You think that you need more so you keep asking 
so maybe you swim out to the sea to be heard,
or to get a closer look.

Something's not right, those with wit will find, 
you notice the chain that leads directly down,
and where they're still sinking without a sound.
You wonder why.
I tried to pull them up 
I say, “listen, come here”
“Please come here, just come and breathe”
if you're so kind, you demand, “Oh please, oh please”.

But you don't understand dear,
one day you'll be among them, 
don't you see,
you'll be the one waving to the youth,
as you remain,
bound by the sea.