You Remind Me

You remind me of the tempting drain

Placed at the very bottom of the deep end of the pool

The one I feared tremendously as a child

I was convinced some small part of me would get stuck within an opening of that drain

And I’d drown under the weight of the water

Robbing my lungs of the air needed to keep me afloat 

More often than not

I find myself staring at you

And as I start to dive into the depths of you 

And why I want to look that deep inside you

I startle from that familiar fear

That a small part of me will get stuck within you

And I’ll be consumed by the desire to trust you

Love you

And I feel my lungs being robbed of the air I need to survive

So I retreat to the surface

Taking a deep breath

And diverting my eyes

E.A. O'Connell