Sand filled Toms shoes while he stood there looking out on the calm coast.

The horizon looked as if it was drawn with a pencil and seemed to be endless.

The tide rose like bread in the oven and water began to mix with the sand.

The water rapped its hands around Toms ankles and pulled him off balance.

Falling to his knees, he knows to always swim.

He shuts his eyes clenching the small rocks that used to be part of his sandcastles when he was little.

But the quiet swishing of the water made him feel he wasn’t alone.

He now laid on his back, in awe that he created floating.

His hands glide through the water and he faces away from the deep.

He burst out laughing at the thought of him drowning.

He let’s go and breaks the surface but continues to try and breath.

This pain is peaceful, refreshing,

The water is beautiful,

But the water also brought him fear.

Drifting among the riptide he becomes aware of that beauty hidden behind fear.

But it’s fear that was keeping him from fully letting go.