swim team, lareisa griner.

+

swim team: practice.

                  a stretch of suburban sea.

blue tiles speckle white washed walls,

                   hastily passed by goggled vision.

-there races a slender wet-suit of skin.

bobbing up,

                                    down.

diving,

                  deep.

now you

learn to –

                  skim.

learn to –

                  coordinate.

                                    arm. hand. leg. feet. head. mouth.

                                    breathe.

again.

 

+

swim team: meet.

                  hundreds of heads wrapped in rubber.

                  tight bodies, pressed to walls.

                  timers ticking eager ticks; horn is blown.

                  -there races a slender wet-suit of skin.

arched back.

flailing arms.

open mouth,

                                    breathless.

the rhythm –

                                    beating.

                                    beating.

                                                      heart.

wall –

                                    reached.

                  flip turn.

quick push.

no time to look, just

sail: slender submarine.

keep

                  going –

                                    harder.

                                    harder.

                                                      fast.

you’re in.

make it long:

                                    out-                      -                    - -                   -stretch.

gasp, for breath.

                  press.

                  press.

                           push.

liquid pierced,

violent.

                  almost there.

you’ve got it.

wall –

                  reached.

again.

 

+

out: you climb.

                  pavement peeling the caps of knees.

                  chest waves, the feel of water: your legs

                  tremble.

dripping,

                  soaked.

hot with the cool satisfaction –

                  you beat.