8/10/20

Beautiful Long Relaxed Purposeful

I went swimming and discovered that only four words existed

where I swam was not exciting

but it was clear blue and I got very tan

I never once felt so much

like an intricate toy or a well-built fish

in the water I was forever gliding

and everything presented itself to me

all cracked neatly without bends or folds

just straight through and narrow

and sometimes this made me swallow the water

the clear blue chlorine

but I kept swimming and discovered that only you existed

in a place I will never be

watching how you look

but never what you see

where we danced was not exciting

but it was clear and I grew muscular

I felt so much like a framed painting

or a caramelized green apple

all done up nicely without scratches or dents

just valuable and altogether pretty

and again I swallowed the water

and my skin smelled of chlorine

but one day there was no more clear blue

there was ocean

and still I swam

because I thought maybe this was where the other words had gone maybe

this was where you lived

and a voice called out to me,

beautiful

long

relaxed

purposeful

strokes!

the most beautiful

freestyle

you have ever seen!

and suddenly you appeared there

in the ocean

floating serenely by

making not a single sound

hair like a yellow cloud

the only movement your breath

the dipping of your chest

and as I got closer I saw your eyes

they were closed

and you must have been dreaming

it was

the immeasurable want

that tilted my head back and held the air in my lungs with a fist

all I could do was stretch my arms out wide

like a desperate child, an oblique starfish

and shut my eyes

the sun began to bake the sleep into me

although I miserably tried

to listen for the sound

of you waking up

and swimming toward me