Drown

“We can drink until we drown”

I heard him say

With a hint of southern drawl.

But when you see your reflection 

Staring back at you from a glass almost 

Half drunk, do you feel more alive, 

Or numb? 

And when you drown, what 

Then? Do you rise the next day or learn how 

to swim?

Are your lungs ever emptied

Again from the river you fill them with? 

You inhale until you stop breathing, 

Drink yourself to death.

Sensation seeking is

A psychological thing,

An immature prefrontal cortex,

To take risks and survive

Makes us feel more alive

We learn this in adolescence.

Do you drink to let go

Or to take control?

Is it a way of pounding your fist

At the sky

To say you can do what you like 

And survive

Like the woman who ate the fruit

And didn’t die?

But she did

She died inside.

Maybe that’s the nut of it, 

That you think you can drink, and drown, and

Survive.

One day,

Will the current be too strong?

Author's Note

Was experimenting with some different line structure. Would love any constructive feedback— pros, cons, etc. you won’t offend me.

Reviews

[Thomas W Case]

Very relatable Ruth. Powerful writing. Vivid and sharp.