While I wrangle with Red Mary, I pulled together a couple of other pieces from the pebble, stone and sand series that I’m writing. This one calls to mind the joy of when I learned to swallow dive as a teenager. Diving into the sea still fills me with delight.
I stumble on stone
A whisp of air
a slide
a trip caught
spinning in the moment
Clouds break through
a single beam
waves lapping
show amusement
at the turning of the tide
grabbing all the grit they can
like me
I gather up this bruising flesh
these bones
I step up to the edge
The sea makes just the perfect shape
for diving
heels rise lifting
knees fall bending
I make a swallow dive and
fly into enveloping cool
a rush of foam surrounding
and all is quiet
Sun follows in silvery bars
dancing shapes delight me
I rise face up to meet the air
a dip, a breath, a kick, a pull
I’m swimming once again
That these bones, this flesh is buoyant
fills me with mammalian joy
a whale tail, a dolphin eye
I flip and view the sky