We came here together
To see what we could see,
To see if the seas would be different
Amongst other people’s eyes.

Light all around –
Above,
Below –
And the unmeasured water is all that you can see.

Light all around –
Above,
Below –
And I think that I may be safe at sea.

Enlightened,
Crazy,
I draw nearer to the edge,
And join your gazing, downward face.

A moment.
A waiting.
A shift.
I feel others come close.

The light bounces off the waves
And hits you in the eye.
You stagger and fall backwards
Into the waiting crowd.

We came together
To see what we could see
To see what we could feel
Together more than when only you and me.

The crowd surrounds
And pushes in,
Claws at our air,
And I can’t breathe.

Their hands and eyes and fists and mouths
Gather
Around us
To hit and sneer and punch and spit.

And you can’t see the light for the waves.

I’ll go away,
Down from this ship.
Pull you with me
To the glowing depths below.

 

We came together
To see what we would see
To feel what we would feel
To live what we could live.
You, and me, and us, and them,
Together
To gather
And pulse and churn as one.

As the light keeps bouncing off the waves
To hit you in the eye.
You stagger back into their waiting, clawing hands
Even though – I try to tell you –
There is light beneath the water, too.

Here there is gathering
And pulsing
And churning
To death.

 

Let’s stay away,
Let’s jump down,
Run under water,
Across the ocean floor.

Let’s stay away,
And leave their gatherings to themselves.
Let’s stay away,
And find unpainful light below.

The clawing crowd is
Jeering and
Snapping and
Waiting to bring itself near.

Let’s stay away.

 

We came here together
To be what we would be.
To see if the seas would be different
Amongst other people’s eyes.

Light all around –
Above,
Below –
And the unending water is all that you can see.

Light all around –
Above,
Below –
And the unending water will cover me.

Let’s stay away together,
And be what we can be:
Unreached
Unseen
Unmarred –
Below,
Away from the gathered –
Un-staggering before the light.

I’ll pull us away,
Together,
To be what we can be.
I’ll pull us down from the others,
Far from the gathered,
Away from the ones falling backwards
At the force of the light.

 

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Gathering,”
and partly inspired by Alice in Chains’ “I Stay Away.”
Watch the official video for the song here.