over board

the boat can no longer
hold the two of us.
someone has
to swim to shore.
there are no volunteers.
the water is cold.
there may be sharks
lingering for legs
and arms to appear.
no one wants things
to end this way.
no one wants to jump
into the high swells
of high tide and chop
their way towards land.
but someone has to go
when love ends, so you
stand on the bow
and jack knife in.