Swimming in Memories

Swimming in Memories


The smell of chlorine is pungent
It hits me
Before I even open the door
The pool deck is wet and slimy
I’ve always hated the feeling of wet tiles 
Beneath my feet
I walk on tip toes to the edge 
And jump in feet first
This is the place
Where you and I 
Learned to swim
Brave enough 
To stick our faces in the water
And do a dead man’s float 
With no concern of drowning
Blowing bubbles 
To see who could go the longest
Before coming up for air
Kicking our legs
While holding onto the edge
Treading water 
Learning to stroke
Side by side
All smiles and giggling
Our blonde heads dipping
Beneath the surface
Eyes open 
To spy on one another
Only to burn later
You and I 
Must have been 
Fish in another life
But it seems I miss the water 
More than you
For here I am
Again
Wearing my chlorine perfume
Holding my breath
Swimming in memories

Words and Image: ©2019LCR
Submitted to: Real Toads - Timetravel Flashback

Comments

  1. Once we become dolphins, we often forget our guppy days. Thanks for the reminder, especially today, when the nearly sub-zero totally confounds any thought of taking a dip. Well done!

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    1. Guppy days! I like that. It is much too cold... but I still head to the pool whenever I get a chance.

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  2. Quite a water life you and "he" had. I liked it, the ending is great, even 'chlorine perfume' to bolster memories.
    BTW, Mrs. Jim and I each took swimming in college at different schools. I wore a cast for six weeks that semester, a hazing accident.
    ..

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    1. I was a real water baby. I would never get out of the pool... even when I was shivering! A hazing accident is terrible!

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  3. Your poem brings back so many wonderful memories of learning all kinds of new things with my sisters .... beautifully done.

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    1. Thank you so much! It feels very easy to write a flashback when you've just had one. Still swimming at the same pool I did as a kid.

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  4. I love how you use such a scent to pull back a wonderful childhood memory. Just wonderful... and it just shows how powerful a flashback can be.

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    1. Just one whiff and I was a child again, such excitement. I still get that way every time I go for a swim. This was a wonderful prompt. Thank you.

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  5. I imagine the scent of chlorine to be a powerful touchstone. You bring the reader into the pool with you with vivid descriptions.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you very much. Sink or swim you're jumping in with me!

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