Excellent, John. You take us on a journey that - I have to believe - many of us can relate to. The beauty of this piece is that it enables the reader to both empathize, accompany you, and reflect on our own paths. Thanks.

The title, Tides, is intriguing. Seas ebb and flow, progress and regress; water levels fluctuate relative to a fixed plane (global warming excepted). Here the flow overwhelms the ebb and the narrator is eventually sucked in/under, and the extended metaphor emphasises the unknown, assumed extraneous factor that causes, or rather allows, this to happen; engagingly mesmerizing.

This has a compelling flow with no punctuation, not always traditional line breaks or word connections and that makes the structure powerful as relating to the tides, the you, the inevitable. "the tides rise above my chest a sunken treasure " brilliant lines. Whether metaphorical or literal this is gripping and my pick for POTD. Thanks.