knee deep in the flow

their voices reached me from underwater.

in conference rooms and rendezvous
across tables
and times
and points of departure

bubbled fragments burst into my ears.

i could almost hear you.

we just need to wash a few more things away
a few more
misunderstandings
habits
fears

and the words will become sentences
paragraphs
glottal stops
slides
stories (both real and imagined)
intonation
reflection
from origins unfamiliar

i am treading and sorting and creating an escape route from the undertow.

it’s overwhelming,
when i can hear you.