The Cage by the Sea

My conscience is asleep at the wheel-
That must be how I wound up here.
I watch your memory
Slip beneath the waves,
And I come alive
Beating against the glass
Trying to break it
While you fade into the depths.

A cage is a cage.
And this,
This cage that I've built
To never allow myself to go too far,
To never forget the consequences if I do,
All under the guise of protection,
Had me forgetting who I am.
But I refuse to forget now,
Not if it means losing you.

I shatter the glass,
My conscience breaking every barrier
That stands between you and me.
Your memory is all I have left
And as I dive into those waters
So cold and dark
I'm reminded just how far I've come.
But even for the sun
I can't let you go.
And as I retrieve you,
A dead weight in my arms,
My lungs scream out
But all I see are bubbles,
So innocent compared to the terror
And anguish burning in my gut.

I break the surface,
You safely against my heart
Where you've always belonged,
My saltwater tears mix with the sea.
Someday I will have to let you go.
Someday I will have to move on.
Someday I will have to find peace.
But today,
Today you stay with me.