Drowning In An Ocean Of Words

Swimming in conversation,
slow and easy
kept afloat
by the occasional drifting sentence
but then the clouds darken
the waves begin to stutter
lost under the sea of confused ideas
I begin to lose control
meanings come out
that weren't supposed to
I'm drowning in an ocean of words
the argument heats up
the sea is tossing and pushing me under

but then
one word comes
skipping across the waves
Sorry
other words soon follow
the storm pauses,
frozen in midair
the clouds pass over
the ocean calms with a steady, smooth current
I leave that to settle
and swim back to shore
to come back
and tread the waters of conversation
on a later date
when the waters have smoothed over
and the Sorry has fully sunk in

Picture found here