water body

before

I would walk into lake (West Hawk)

chilled water numbing

until

water up to chin

arms raised

floating the surface

tiptoing                flirting with submersion

or

stay in the shallows

hands crawling the sandy bottom

body horizontal

head tilted up

catching summer breath

don’t remember learning

it might have been in the Altona pool

hot summer outing

or a brother  showing me how

after

I would stay close to bouys

that marked off beach area

testing endurance

from one end to the other

waves lifting and lowering

my lithe form

or

dive deep

for shiny rocks on the bottom

holding breath

like a pearl finder

wondrous water enveloping