massive and weighty as it was
the cruise ship still felt the impact
of the first three waves
bouncing and rocking under their impact
they made her seasick and miserable

when the fourth one struck
it caught her on deck, still
unbalanced from the one before
she hit the water with barely a splash
hardly a ripple

the ocean’s cold sucked the breath
from her lungs
stole her voice, sure as a sea witch
so she bobbed a bit
in the black
treading water
while the ship went on without her

by the time they noticed
shouting,
pointing,
throwing
their life preservers
she was reminded
reminded that these waters
these shark-infested, deep, dark waters
were familiar

she knew how to swim here
she’d done it before
so she struck out
not toward the ship but away from it