I choose to die
as I lower into the water
I’ll drown this life forever, I whisper
filling my heart, my eyes
my mind, waterlogged in no time…

I choose to die
sitting cross-legged at the bottom of our lake
This backyard will never be the same
from my actions
to our family name

I chose to die
when my breathing ceased
ending apart of myself
I refused to see
Soaked memories of a shell I wore
masks of life that became a chore
submerged to the lake floor

Discarded, ignored

I chose to die
because I’m moving on
Reaching
above the surface

Breathing

Knowing

I’ll live on

^{I Choose To Die first appeared at The Writer’s Club on August 27, 2022}