Before I Sink Poem by Bien Nathaniel Gerodias

I am a sinking ship with sails still raised
pretending the water isn't rising past my ribs

I drift carefully, afraid that reaching for the shore
will feel like dragging someone under with me

My weight is quiet, a slow tide pulling
at the edges of something once steady
but I dare not ask if they feel it too

I hold my storm behind glass
letting the cracks spread unseen

Smiling as if my bones aren't creaking
under the weight of everything unspoken.

The waves move faster, the current pulls harder
and I am left wondering—how long before
I disappear beneath the surface entirely?