He swam the channel to find enrichment;
it was only a little over a kilometer across.
He saw the city, stores, and businesses
with opportunities for pleasure and prosperity.
He always imagined it would be easy just
to swim back to family and friends, where he began.

But one day noticed his old way had become
treacherous, overtaken by a rushing high water
roiling and boiling like a cauldron. He realized
with a sick feeling in his gut that to attempt
to swim back was certain death, also
the unruly waves had begun to sweep the big city
and businesses away so that all were fleeing--
so he looked at the flooded channel
and commenced.