Thinking about water while swimming in the pool

I break its surface
feel its pearls
            roll 
                 down 
                         my skin
I surge             forward 
pressing palms together
and in an       outward circular 
stroke 

feeling the resistance of this chemical compound
feeling its enormity
sensing its presence in my body
and around the earth

a drop 
          eroding s t o n e

a refreshing GUSH

a destructive W A V E

a treasure trove
of pearl and coral
     fantastic creatures
                      monsters

I am aware of the brackish throat
that can swallow 
a town
whole

and spit up bones and shells
derelict and driftwood
flotsam and jetsam

I turn onto my back
a star             a starfish
turning
in the twinkles of light
that stream through the glass roof
of the pool

as I count lengths
I daydream about swimming beyond the horizon 

Kim M. Russell, 25th February 2025
Image by Matheo JBT on Unsplash

I’m hosting Poetics this week at the dVerse Poets Pub, based on the ancient Greeks’ belief that the Universe is made up of four elements: earth, air, fire, and water.

My challenge is to choose one of the basic four elements and explore how it manifests itself in our lives, our relationship with it and, avoiding cliché, think abstractly about how the element looks, feels, smells, tastes, and sounds in a poem about that element.

51 thoughts on “Thinking about water while swimming in the pool”

  2. I so love the shape and structure of this poem, Kim! 😍 Especially resonate with; “I am aware of the brackish throat that can swallow a town whole.” 🩷🩷

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  3. I was swimming along with you in your verses Kim. Love the format and layout of words, emphasizing movements of rolling down, surging, dropping, then day dreaming swimming beyond the horizons. Also admired the 2 faces of water – destruction and a treasure trove. Thank you for hosting!!

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  10. Love your description of water, Kim.

    I relate to ~

    ‘as I count lengths
    I daydream about swimming beyond the horizon’.

    I swim most days in a salt pool where, with solar heating, it reaches a warm 30C !! Mind you, it’s the height of summer here in NZ presently. ;D

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  15. Oh wow this is brilliant, I could feel the power…how water can swallow a town whole…up in North Queensland recently I am sure they could relate. There is nothing like swimming, and just floating in water, you describe it perfectly. Wonderful write Kim.

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  18. Mmmm…this is lovely and made me want to go for a swim and contemplate water myself. It’s been sunny and warm here in the desert (86 degrees) and a dip sounds delightfully refreshing, even more so after reading your satisfying verse.

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  20. Pingback: Roberta Writes – d’Verse Tuesday Poetics: The Four Elements #poetry #lioncubs

  21. Ahh! I especially love the last two stanzas:

    “I turn onto my back
    a star a starfish
    turning
    in the twinkles of light
    that stream through the glass roof
    of the pool

    as I count lengths
    I daydream about swimming beyond the horizon”

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    Reply

  22. I love the way you use spacing and line breaks to wash us with your words: a swimmingly good poem, Kim. I especially loved “I am aware of the brackish throat
    that can swallow” and the star/starfish lines.

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