Instructions:
You can dive in and swim
breast stroke, backstroke, freestyle
or skip right to the end
to make your own poem
of twenty out- of- context
breath-taking liquid lines.
Preface
“It’d be good for your knee.
Swimming will pump the blood.
Just avoid frog kicks.”
“Thanks, Doctor, you’re the best.
My tweaked meniscus glad
for therapy and shots.”
At the Y, Indoors
Plunge under the surface
scull flat hands to the side
scoop them together to pray
wave my feet dolphin-like
undulating from hips
head pops up straight ahead
breathe and arrow-out hands
glide on my own mini-wave
repeat sixteen times per lap.
It’s all about the hips.
Now no one’s in my lane
grab the stainless steel rungs
push off with my right foot
stretch my arms overhead
in supplicant’s prayer
dolphin-kicking three times
looking straight to heaven
rotate right to wind up.
elbow at the surface
stays as pinky enters
scoop straight back rotate left
grip the water and glide
majestically and smooth.
Pull up right hand thumb first
opposing left hand back
yin-yang opposition.
Repeat the rhythm– grip
the water– feel the surge.
The blue and white lane flags
alert my searching eyes
I flip and take three strokes
push off in breast stroke mode.
Eight more for the decade
watery rosary.
On my right side stretch out
my right hand and angle
down elbow high and grab
the water. Hips power
me toward my outstretched left.
Hand begins the splashless
stroke in one tip- to -toe
roll of head shoulders mouth.
Breathe on alternate sides.
Lead with the hips lap one.
Swimming downhill lap two.
Reach over barrel lap three.
Blow the bubbles lap four.
Overestimated
your curiosity
didn’t I, dear Reader?
Counting
Read 20 random lines.
Rearrange if you wish.
Feel my liquid rhythms.
I like to count my beats.
“Did you say count? Twenty?
Let me help you, poets.
We can count together!
I am the Count von Count.
1,2,3 The Count plays organ music
4,5,6 The Count’s eyes light up
7,8,9 little bats flutter “Not now, my children.”
10,11,12 his gloved four-fingered hands snap and keep a gypsy beat
13,14,15 The Count throws back his head
16,17,18 “Ha! Ha! Ha!”
19,20 “We can count again!”
Thunder and lighting
“Thank you all wery much!”