as the water rose around him
his terror was great
and as it licked at his chin
he knew the end was upon him
and as it overwhelmed him
and covered his mouth
he could hang on no more
and took
a final deep breath,
ready to meet eternity,
and yet, as everything slowed down
as it does when death arrives,
he became silent and still
and breathed softly

and opened his eyes

he was in a new world
like a womb
but awake and aware
and fully alive

and so it was he learned
to breathe under water
and never feared death
again

and so it is with our dark emotions
they threaten to overwhelm us
and annihilate us
but when we learn to breathe into them
they will transform us
and make us whole.