by Emma Freeman

As I walked through the familiar front door

a tidal wave hit me out of nowhere

voices swirling

bodies moving in a choreographed dance

I used to have memorized and now suddenly stumbled through

Eyes darting, heart racing

layers of energy came at me all at once

pounding against my tender body

tossing me around in every direction

Unsure of what was happening

confused and overwhelmed

I went through the motions of pretending everything was fine

while invisible panic began to set in

I desperately searched for an escape

as I tried to find my footing on that slippery ground

but the waters just kept getting deeper

the shore floating farther and farther away

until suddenly a well-worn life raft drifted by

one I had used many times before

as I wrapped my body around it

everything inside me relaxed

the voices hushed into a low hum

and I slowly drifted away…