Swimming

Swimming against fiery tide,
waves of flame burn
and strip skin as she goes.

Deep breaths.
Keep the motion going.
Legs kicking, even though
flesh is blackening.

Is that bone beneath, that she sees?

A roaring laugh echoes
as thunder.
Her head turns,
taking in the scene.

Trying to keep her head
above flame.
Even as she inhales
and smells her body cooking.

Geysers alongside
spewing ash and rock,
embers settle
on top of glowing orange river.

A larger one bursts forth
carrying her up,
past the red,
past the cackling

into grey skies,
slowly beaten back by blue.
She glides through the air
healing as she floats.

Blisters vanish,
fresh skin grows over
the scorches on her body,
pain replaced by serenity.

She lands on a surfboard,
atop a wave,
gently mastering it
as the smell of salt pervades her senses.

The water brings her calmly along,
depositing her on silver sands
alongside drying seaweed
both washed ashore

freshly clean.

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