I felt the ever increasing depth envelope me drawing me Accepting the gravity, the pull, I could not resist The impact of realisation a collision with the walls A dark well bouncing me hurting, not the bottom I kept smiling as the knocks threw me further down, hiding the marks covering my pain not knowing just how deep Light reached down, slivers illuminated protrusions of hope I reached out at the cold rock desperate to grasp outcrops of relief My friends threw me ropes shouts echoing encouragement I looked and saw a lighter shade drawn to an illusion of light I clung to the moist and slippery coldness in the well of despair knowing that it would not swallow me no longer surrendering to the fall I will climb and my nails will break my body aching from the strain I will grasp the rose and rise friendship pulling me higher each day. - Ciaran Burke