The tide of relentless
crashing waves
throws my entire body
to the floor of the ocean;
struggling for air
I take in only sand
and seaweed, I think;
my eyes open
in search of an escape
and immediately
sting from the saltwater
and unknown particles of ick;
I am trapped
and I panic
flailing my arms and legs about,
like an upside-down turtle;
until finally
somehow,
I find the strength to call out
for help
and I land on the shore,
covered with sand
and coughing up phlegm
and pieces of seashells.
I sit there for a moment
allowing balance to return
to my spinning head
and watching my
siblings laughing like hyenas,
and I start to laugh a little myself.

It is funny now,
my tumble through the waves,
and perhaps a bit of a lesson
for future
catastrophes.