April 14, 2003

Swimming

I'm so damn

I went into love like it was a lake in late April. I dipped my toes in and shivered at the sensation. I tried to see what was underneath that clear, blue water - but you can't see much from the shore. You have to gather your courage and wade out into the water. You have to trust that there's nothing on the bottom, hidden by tangled weeds, that's waiting to bite you. It feels safer, sometimes, to just watch the water lap against the shore, but if you don't go in, you'll never get to swim. And swimming is the closest thing to flying.

There was darnkess beneath those waters, but that's only because of the depth. Shallow water isn't much fun, and while it may not hide snakes - there's also no chance of a tiny fish darting out to surprise you with a shiny, silver caress.

My own waters only recently thawed. They'd been covered in a thick layer of ice. The ice protected them for a long time, but now that spring is here, they've shed the frozen shell. They were frightening waters to venture into, and he walked straight in while the ice was still there, cold and very unforgiving. I'm glad he had the courage, and I'm glad I did, too.

Have a lovely afternoon and thanks for reading.

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