Gasping For Air Poem by Karen Degnan-foiles

I know it sounds dramatic
But to me it was traumatic

It happened when I was out of town
The wave went up when I went down

Nobody knew how deep I went
The water not deep, thought I was safe

Down, down, down I went
I thought it’d be fun to come up again

Up I went, gasping in the air
But only to come down deep again

Again caught in the wave above my head
Now thrashing about the frightful dread

Trying to stand but keep getting pushed again
Like someone holding, pulling, gripping on me

Now I’m screaming a silent scream
“Why is no one helping me? ”

All I wanted was my honey to save me
But he was 300 miles away

Through the water I could see my son
Not even 16, but he was all I had

He grabbed my hand and pulled me up
I coughed and gasped everyone stared at me

I then let out a chuckle
I didn’t want him to see

Just how scared his Mom could be