Kaleidoscope

I don't know how
To dance with darkness
untangle myself
And fight my way
Back to the surface
I stumble
Trip ungracefully
Land in a puddle
That becomes a pool
And then a sea
gives birth
To an ocean
vast and unending
It swallows me whole
tightness hugs my chest
Gently
At first
As I softly
Imperceptibly
descend farther
Deeper
So much deeper
Than I ever intended
To go
Air extinguished
Panic sets in
I thrash about
Desperately
Searching
Reaching
for the surface
The sun
Where safety lives
But I am too far gone
Hopelessly lost
Lungs fill
With the putrid water
Whose first sip
Was my balm
Confused
I sink
Slowly
Down
Down
Down
The burning crawls
And seeps
Into my every crevice
black overtakes me
My body limp
Head clearer
Seeing past the darkness
Clarity illuminates
The web of deception
I carefully wove
The end is blissfully near
I lean into it
Lungs exploding
Light crashing behind my eyes
Bursts of color
Mixed with white
Bright beyond compare
Oh look
I think to myself
A kaleidoscope....