Sinking
Life Without You
My head is beneath water
My legs and arms are flailing
I can’t breach the surface
No matter how hard I kick
* * *
Bubbles escape my lips
Trailing up toward the sunlight
Taking my breath away from me
As I grow more and more lightheaded
* * *
I once reached for you to guide me to the surface
Both my buoy and my anchor
But now when I claw at the water
All I find is empty space
* * *
I sink lower and lower
My panic rising in my throat
The darkness wraps itself around me
I dread the feel of rock bottom beneath me
* * *
My vision is distorted
My breath struggles to sustain me
My mind is forever clouded
But I never lose sight of the light on the surface
About the Creator
Stephanie Hoogstad
With a BA in English and MSc in Creative Writing, writing is my life. I have edited and ghost written for years with some published stories and poems of my own.
Learn more about me: thewritersscrapbin.com
Support my writing: Patreon
Reader insights
Nice work
Very well written. Keep up the good work!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Keep reading
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~ Fired ~
— Ai Intrusion ~ Are you Next ~ Is Ai Evolution after your job? — Few workplaces haven't been affected. Ai is in supermarkets, at doctors' offices, and even monitoring farms. I just can't think of anything this machine is not getting into, can you? For instance: Education ~ Law and Tech jobs will one day have a major influence or be taken over by these inanimate machines, with accuracy and vigor. From mechanics' diagnoses to a wide variety of everyday jobs, including fast food workers, with this input having the ability to cut their unnecessary work hours. I'm certain all of us have been touched by this with our short stories and colorful headings, have you? Even comments are very questionable 'Non-Robot' insertions.
By Jay Kantor6 days ago in Journal
Comments (17)
BLESSINGS. LOVE IT. WOW 🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
This is incredible writing Stephanie. I'll just say that at the top. Again impressed with how open and vulnerable you've been. Sorry I missed this one. Not surprised it got Top Story. I know this might not be the time to take things on like that but have you considered a poetry book self published?:tell me to such the fuck up if that feels intrusive or something. I have no idea why it would but... Lol.
Ooh, I love this. Truly captures the sensation of drowning in loss. https://todaysurvey.today/poets/swimming-u0j4w0l30%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv class="css-w4qknv-Replies">
This poem really captures the those heavy emotions but I love the idea of still holding onto hope.
Such a clever way to describe life, depression, loss of faith , loneliness etc. You cover it all. This tugs at the soul
Drowning is a horrible feeling but keeping onto that hope can help save us in the end. Congrats on Top Story!
Excellent poem, so deep with strong emotions. Congratulations on top story. 🎉♥︎
The kind of poem you come back to when you can’t find words for your own feelings.
Congratulations on your top story, Stephanie!
Holding on to hope when we feel like we are drowning is a super power in my opinion. Congrats on top story!
Congratulations on your Top Story! Heavy piece; I like to feel something even if I am uncomfortable.
Love the darkness of this and the way you dangled hope just out of reach at the end, Stephanie!! Congrats on Top Story!!
Back to say congrats on a well deserved top story!
Stephanie, your poem 'Sinking' captures the raw ache of emotional descent with such poignant imagery—the flailing limbs, the escaping bubbles, and that absent buoy-anchor hit me deeply, evoking the quiet terror of isolation in life's depths.
One of the hardest places to be, and you captured the sense of emptiness perfectly. I am sorry if you are going through this, and I send you love.
Beatifully sad words
⚡️💙⚡️