When It Happens... Poem by Steven Federle

when it happens,
will I feel the dark waters
seep into my lungs, hear the silence
pour thickly through my ears,
taste the bitterness
of uncried
tears?

I've heard how it rattles
as it jimmies locked doors
searching for any opening
to surprise sleeping cells,
strangle
the innocent
heart.

As the wave washes through my mind
Will I feel terror
as I flee
to higher
ground?

Or will I quit
this tragic trip just
seconds ahead of death's cold grip,
and ascend to you,
slender and
shining
and new?