Undertow II

When the Unseen Pull is Strongest

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The Tide

The sea had not changed
because I noticed it.
I noticed it
because I could no longer stand against it.

Unlike a breaking wave,
an undertow rarely announces itself.
The surface may appear almost unchanged.

The horizon remains where it has always been.
Even the light can be beautiful.
Beneath what appears familiar,
another movement has already begun.

The violence of the wave is one form of grief.
Another arrives beneath still water.

---

The Sea

An experienced mariner knows that strength alone
will not return a vessel against every current.

When
Thought becomes uncertain.
Simple decisions require unusual effort.
What once felt instinctive now asks for conscious attention.

When
Confidence slips quietly.
Clarity becomes intermittent.
Familiar instincts hesitate.

These waters require another wisdom—
never fight the sea on the sea’s own terms.

---

Along this shore

“I do not recognize myself.”
“I cannot think the way I used to.”
“Everything feels unfamiliar.”

The ground
beneath your inner life
has begun to rumble.

An undertow cannot always be seen from shore.
Those standing nearby rarely know
how much effort it takes
simply to remain upright.

---

A lantern for the crossing

Old mariners knew
there were waters that could not be conquered.
Only learned.

Not by outrunning these waters.
Not by rowing toward yesterday.