My father taught me to swim
by holding my small body
tightly
and stepping off
the highest ledge
at Horses' Heaven,
indifferent to my pleas
for release, to play safely
with my sisters
on the ******* below.
I had time to notice gravity
before the cold river
swallowed us
and as I fought
to keep him from slipping
through my stinging hands
he let go.
It was a long, dark panic.
I'm still afraid of the deep.
I wonder what learning to love
might have been like
had I learned to swim
in a shallow pool,
with a patient teacher.
Jan 3, 2011
Jan 3, 2011 at 8:33 AM UTC
My father taught me to swim
by holding my small body
tightly
and stepping off
the highest ledge
at Horses' Heaven,
indifferent to my pleas
for release, to play safely
with my sisters
on the ******* below.
I had time to notice gravity
before the cold river
swallowed us
and as I fought
to keep him from slipping
through my stinging hands
he let go.
It was a long, dark panic.
I'm still afraid of the deep.
I wonder what learning to love
might have been like
had I learned to swim
in a shallow pool,
with a patient teacher.
Horses' Heaven is a local swimming spot, or "swimmin' hole" as we call them in Vermont. ;) I've never met anyone who could tell me the origin of its name.
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