He always knew how to swim,
was naïve enough to believe
that he could save her from drowning.
He dived a little deeper,
explored terrain that no one
had previously dared to venture.

He became her float –
breathing air from the surface,
yes, but still,
half immersed in water.

He taught her how to swim;
he taught her how to glide;
but in doing so, he sacrificed
the air in his lungs.

She taught him how to sink.