(Solstice II)

July 5, 2024

She waded into the churning waters for those who watched from ashore.

She risked it all to show them if they followed her, just what lay in store.

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She flailed in the current as they watched in horror wide-eyed.

She sank beneath the surface of the water swept away by the tide.

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She saw them passing life preservers as the undertow took hold.

She prayed they would survive this storm, that no one else would try to be bold.

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She struggled to break the surface, if only to bid them goodbye,

But the water silenced her words, her screams, dragging her beneath the tides.

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She let them see the choice they were given wasn’t really a choice,

As she could no longer cry out to them, for the ocean had swallowed her voice.

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As she sank into the murky depths below, she saw them boarding the raft,

And she prayed their fate would be better than hers once this storm had passed.

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Life preservers secured they set sail trying to see her as she drowned,

If only they could reach her, but the tide kept pulling her down.

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She saw them fading into black as the storm finally stole her life.

But she hoped with everything in her they’d make it safely to the other side.