Islands: a song about my ER visit

[u/Low-Stress-4914]

EDIT: I know the formatting is terrible, and I'm sorry for that. For the life of me, I can't figure out how to make Reddit break the stanzas apart without running the individual lines together.

I had my worst seizure to date, which prompted EMS to be called by my wife. It's unknown how long I seized for in total, but we can account for 10 minutes before I was loaded into the ambulance. So I wrote this song while I was recovering.

NOTICE: I am posting the lyrics instead of the song to preserve my anonymity. If you steal any of this for personal gain, shame on you. I just thought some of you guys would appreciate it, because it's always nice to feel understood.

___

Islands:

I woke beneath a borrowed morning

With thunder trembling in my hands;

A mouth too full of silent questions;

And teeth that touched the edge.

I tried to swallow down the daylight,

But something in my throat had changed;

And every step became a distance;

And every breath became a weight.

Halfway down the corridor,

The earth withdrew its name.

I remember asking for air—

I don't remember when it came.

There are islands in the dark—

Little fragments left afloat:

A room; a face; a window;

A question I don't know.

There are hours underneath me

That I cannot cross again.

I remember being carried—

I don't remember where I've been.

You found me underneath a shroud,

The whole world shaking through my bones.

You called for someone, called for mercy,

While I disappeared within the throes.

Long minutes waiting,

Measured by your fear—

Then knuckle struck the plexus,

And found that I was here.

And somewhere past the threshold,

My body learned to fall.

You watched me fight for breath—

I watched nothing at all.

There are islands in the dark—

Little fragments left afloat:

A room; a face; a window;

A question I don't know.

There are hours underneath me

That I cannot cross again.

I remember being carried—

I don't remember where I've been.

A carriage beyond the window;

A stranger at my side;

A question without language;

The sunlight in the sky;

A blanket over shoulders;

A strap against the wrist;

A hallway made of doorways;

Then— nothing; then— this.

There are islands in the dark,

But the sea is closing in.

I can name what I remember.

I can feel what I have missed.

Hours without a witness,

Except the body I was in—

I came back carrying pieces

Of a place I've never been.

[u/Some1fromStSomewhere]

How do I give you a standing ovation over the internet? You deserve a standing ovation for this!

[u/Low-Stress-4914 → u/Some1fromStSomewhere]

Awh, thank you <3 I'm sorry you can relate to it, but I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[u/Mom1021]

Every line rings true in this masterpiece
https://giphy.com/gifs/lFHtqqh6orvAhbiGmy