The Midnight Sea
Every day,
I greet the sea,
Its surface smooth like glass,
The sun a bright torch above,
Leading me into the blue.
I glide through sunlight,
Each stroke a dance,
The world above fading,
Lost in the rhythm of the depths.
But tonight,
An unfamiliar pull calls to me,
The moon a quiet witness
As I slip beneath the surface,
The water a dark shroud,
Whispers weaving through the currents,
Drawing me deeper,
Away from the light.
I swim with abandon,
The thrill of the unknown,
Bioluminescence flickering,
The familiar now feels eerie,
The ocean’s breath heavy.
A flicker of movement—
Something brushes past me,
A fleeting shadow,
My pulse quickens,
The thrill now tinged with fear.
Salt bites my lips, sharp and briny,
A sudden swirl of currents,
Whirling around my legs,
The water presses in,
Thick and heavy.
I turn to swim towards the coast,
Waves gently pull me back.
I glance up;
The moon hangs low,
Casting ghostly light,
But the surface feels distant,
Lost as minutes stretch,
The depths shift,
And suddenly the water
Is no longer cold,
But alive,
Writhing,
Pulling me under.
I scream—
@azurePond
Amazing! Gave me shivers. The imagery you create is so vivid I can feel it, it was almost as if I could feel the temperature changing with the tone of the poem as it becomes colder and more threatening. It's almost Lovecraftian horror ending is spine tingling. As a narrative it is beautiful and terrifying.
What I also loved a great deal about it is how it could also be read as an extended metaphor; The normalcy and routine being set aside momentarily for relief/escapism, until the coming of a night and a descent that creeps in rapidly until the way back is dangerously far. Turning only when instinct screams to act and finding out it is too late.
I am not sure which of the two sets my heart racing more. Thank you.
@BastionKnight Thank you for your kind words. I actually wrote it about how you may think you’re getting better, and the days seem sunny, but dark thoughts creep up on you unexpectedly at night. Also, I haven’t read much of H.P. Lovecraft, but I read Dagon the other day, so there’s that influence as well. Your analysis is spot on! Hehe!!