my buddies and i
swam fearlessly in rivers
that kissed the sky
and yawned wide
like plantation rice fields;

rivers swollen by rolling waves of brine,
4-eyed fishes and e. coli;

and stuffed gators hitching rides
on rafts of wild bermuda
powered by wind and tide.

squabbles of seagulls swoop in,
silently seeking scaled snacks
on the fly-by.

dark naked limbs
flash more bone, less flesh
as we splash a dubious trail;
hands, feet, flailing
into the deep unknown,
fueled by whim
and naïveté.

fear came later.

~ P
#smalldays
(9/4/2017)