I Used To Swim

I used to swim
Head proudly above water
Long hair streaming
Behind me in the stern wave
Strong and even strokes
Propelled me effortlessly
From here to there
I used to relish the wet
Fresh water’s gentle buoyancy
Like tender fingers
Ever so lightly on my skin
I cherished the soft scents
Of navy blue and aqua
The sounds of golden spray
Sweet droplets’ quenching taste
But today, I struggle
Breath by breath I fight
Dark water, thick and angry
Rolls through tortured lungs
My hair has fallen
Like black sea grass
To the lake bed
And my love fell with it
Now that you carried my trust
Into another woman’s arms
My muffled screams go unheard
When the lake spirits
Pull me to their silent depth