Calosha Gomes

Second to the last day,
I close my eyes
as the water fills my lungs
and I don’t suffer anymore.

I breathe beneath this unbreathable,
not so unfamiliar space.
No longer afraid
to be drowned in unwanted grief.

A feeling is a feeling.
What’s not right,
I am leaving behind.

It doesn’t hurt as much,
as I keep speaking up for myself.
As I lead with love
and not manipulation,
I see manipulation so clearly
that I don’t even flinch
when someone is committing it.

I only speak
with the grace I was gifted
and am eternally grateful for.