La Petite Mort

slowly the swirling starts
climbing,
reaching higher
you crest a wave,
it breaks gently and
the swirling begins again
taking you to a new
plateau
the swirling starts
to gather speed and
force
and it crests again
and you're floating
and once more the swirling begins
higher, faster, like
you're on fire
and you keep going even
when you think you can't and
the final wave crests and
you're particles shatter,
turning to dust for
a split second, like
the blink of an eye
you feel whole and empty at the same time
nothingness and everythingness at the same time
and gradually all the molecules come back together
to form what was your body
and you collapse--transcended