SPOTLIGHT: Swim by LB Sedlacek

Diving for
Gold Bricks

We are consumed in
water
swim in it and
float
born of it when
it
breaks spilling on the
FLOOR
our lands bordered by
oceans
more water and food
watered
by us on swimming
deep
no worthless bricks that
only
look like gold made
of
a base metal feigning
something
to get out of
work
simply the same
pretending
to
be sick or injured
or
unable to answer the
question
we spend our lives
thinking
of different ways to
consume
water
without it we are
less
than gold dust floating
from the water lacking
stars

The Homework
Project for Lifeguards

We thought about it
say this say that
that’s the way to
come out on top
use those fancy words
come on we’re not
just tan, buff, hot
lifeguards in bathing
suits
red like on Baywatch
we’re in the south
a small little town
we’ll sound smart haha
giggle, giggle, giggle,
giggle!

Locker Room Talk

This morning in the
locker room
The young girls start
talking
They always do after
practice
Swimming beside them
is like
Swimming in an ocean
swallowing
Water not uncommon but
perhaps
This improves resistance
makes the
Swimming workout that
much harder
These girls talk while
showering
Sharing shampoo, combs
and brushes
They talk as if I’m
Not there using a nearby
Stall close to my locker
Their conversations
usually are similar
Today it takes a turn
Because of the exchange
student
And she is from
Germany
She doesn’t even say
where
According to her
Germany’s great
They eat more fruits,
vegetables
Eating out once a month
Have dinner early at 4pm
Have breakfast early at
7am
Eat a much bigger lunch
Have only salads for
dinner
Academics take
precedence over sports
For those doing well
academically
College is free, no cost
They learn more
languages, speak
Them too sports are
unimportant
To be on a team you
Have to join sports clubs
Reasons to move either
direction
And then later same day
At the science fair
competition
The teachers, judges,
parents waiting
Talk of snickers pie and
Oreo lasagna, graham
cracker crusts
Liver pudding and all the
Awful food choices in
England

The Lifeguard Poem

The water shimmers
more
when you are watching it
from the stand the glint
from fluorescent lights
the sun and you can
see into it from a
higher perch and does it
feel the same to lap swim
or swim for exercise now
that you are a lifeguard
it isn’t too different
except
I get the pool to myself
no one even watching me
because lifeguards don’t
watch other lifeguards
swim.