just because you are 

beneath the surface

surrounded by water

entire,

~~

does not mean that 

you have sunk to

the bottom, irretrievably 

entangled in rocky cave.

~~

you might just be

mere meters beneath 

the cover of waves,

~~~

and only a few small strokes

of fluttering feet from 

the pure air that sustains.

~~

so, do not peer down into

the depths, discouraged.

instead look up, up to the light,

seek the warmth of the sun.

~~

be encouraged by its nearness

and you will break free from

the smother of a space you

were only intended to visit. 

~~~

and return to the habitat

you were born into, a place

where you can freely live

and breathe and flourish.

~~

–grief is just a stopover, but never a home.

©Heather Pound 2023

image:Mourad Saadi/Unsplash