Meaning of Death

As you hit the water
you must have known it was too late,
you had passed the point of no return
with no time left to contemplate.

A numbness entered your body
as you struggled for breath
and for the first time
you understood the meaning of death.

A split second decision
would have lasting repercussions,
the reason for your death
the subject of heated discussions.

For over a month your body
lay on the river bed
leaving family and friends to wonder
whether you were alive or dead

until that fateful day
when you rose to the surface
and your body was returned
so they at least knew for certain.

If you could have witnessed
the devastation it brought
would you have given
your actions a second thought.