That day you showed me the
hidden beach where you go
to swim alone:
I imagine you
with bare feet in damp dark
sand, zipping
up your wetsuit —
twisting your tangled
curls into a tight ball, secure
at the nape of your quiet neck —
inhaling the blueness, and
exhaling the obstacles
that conspired to keep you
from making it to
this moment.
I feel you stepping into
the vast lake,
the hesitations
you often cling to on land —
are gone.
With each step
taken away from solid ground,
they have slowly submerged.
And then you’re off,
and there is only the
lapping of cold water and
the thrum of your heart —
warm within.
24 May 2022
For Annette
martha phelps studio ~ creative on purpose 