Your eyes should be on the bottom of the pool
Not a very interesting place
A blue line of tiles interrupted by black ones that cross and then make a T
The sign the you better take a last breath and flip over or your cranium will make serious contact with cement
It is a kind of meditation, watching those little blue tiles glide by
as you flail around doing your swimmer's best on the surface
Like counting breaths, who could be anxious here?
At one point, my imagination flies away with me and I am
arguing in that dreaded meeting and cruel words are being spoken
and there is no stillness, so I grab for the gutter on one end, close my eyes and wait for it to stop
I hope the lifeguard doesn't think I need to be taken out of the water.
It's only panic.  
Then I return, really focusing again on climbing up that blue line