Buoyancy

Floating is 
Sunset 
A perfect fall day
Leading my horse back to the barn
Red and orange leaves in my hair

Sinking is 
Unable to do my homework
I don’t know why
So I can’t explain why to my parents
I just sit
Staring at the screen

Floating is
Heading back stage
To eat Oreos
With my friends
In an abandoned dressing room
A standing ovation still ringing in my ears

Sinking is
Watching my mom
Or my sister
Cry 
Curse
Complain 
Or scream
Knowing I’m powerless to help

Floating is
Pulling some brownies out of the oven
Warm gooey and good smelling
Serving them to my family
And my neighbors
Eating the biggest one myself
Fresh from the oven

Sinking is
A Sunday night 
Closing my eyes to sleep
Knowing that the next time I open them
It will be Monday
And the weekend will be over

Floating is
Holding a baby in on my hip
Another one grabs two of my fingers
Talking to them
Singing to them
Marveling at how it is possible
To make money
Feel useful
And have this much fun
All at the same time

Sinking is
Trying to sit at a table
Being unable to
There’s already someone at every table
I can’t sit with anyone
I can’t torture anyone like that
So I just stand there

Floating is
Playing a board game 
My sister invented
On the screen porch
Just after sunset
Coming in a close second
Ice Cream afterwards 

Sinking is
Watching groups of friends
Chatting
Laughing 
Hanging out
Knowing that I can never have that again
Trying not to wish for it

Floating is
Getting my poem published in a newspaper
Seeing it in print
Knowing that I’m good at something
Congratulations from everyone I know
And some people I don’t

Sinking is
Reading a book of social rules
Knowing I’ll never be able
To learn them all
And will fail at life without them

Buoyancy is
Being able to bob back up
After every time I sink
And float again
That very day