And again she scoops air
into her cheeks, buoys her body,
and flops face first into the water,
her limbs, unsyncopated,
thrash with joy. She is all splash
then all snort, and she wretches
and belches the water, then smiles
wide enough for three smiles,
giddy with the wonder of floating—
how just an hour ago she didn’t know
that it would be today
that she would lift
her feet from the bottom and rise
to the water’s top. I wonder
how many pools I’ve been wading in,
waist deep, not knowing
the morning will come
maybe today, when I will stumble
and find all my weight is lifted,
supported, if only I relax.
