"through the blue"
At the public pool,
a man in a faded visor
lectures the swimmers
about moisture.
He taps the laminated sign
as if unveiling a doctrine:
“You're too wet.
That's on you.”
The lifeguard looks away,
busy with the quiet work
of keeping people afloat.
Nearby, a gull drags a chip packet
across the concrete-
its own small protest
against unsolicited guidance.
Someone on the steps
wrings out their towel,
not in shame,
but because towels do that
when they've done their job.
The visor-man continues,
warning the pool-goers
that taking water seriously
will ruin their day.
He gestures at the deep end
as though it's a moral failing.
But the swimmers
slip beneath the surface anyway,
moving with the calm certainty
of people who understand
that immersion is part of the craft.
No one argues.
They simply drift sideways,
letting his voice dissolve
into the background hum
of splashes, lane ropes,
and the faint carnival-air
of cotton candy drifting
from the kiosk.
In that small shift-
that quiet refusal
to carry someone else's posture-
the water steadies around them,
and each stroke
reasserts a simple truth:
sensitivity is not a burden here.
It is the instrument
that keeps them moving
through the blue.
.
-
Author:
crypticbard (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: April 12th, 2026 05:39
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 10
- Users favorite of this poem: sorenbarrett, Friendship, Katie B., Tristan Robert Lange
- In collections: 2026.
Offline)
Comments5
So unique and creative Cryptic this poem speaks the obvious in a most unique manner. In all of these I see metaphor as well. Nicely done my friend a fave
Perhaps an attempt at an Olympic sized metaphor! Thank Soren🕊️🙏
You are most welcome Cryptic
Nicely done. Your poem reflects on themes of freedom, self-acceptance, and the rejection of unnecessary guidance.
"Unnecessary guidance" is putting it lightly but yes, along that vein. Thanks so much dear Friendship 🙏🕊️
Oh wow Arqios I truly enjoyed this one. I was on a swim team when I was young, and it brought back memories. It all glides and flows. It is steady and vivid. Your work is something to be most proud of. This is a definite FAVE my friend.
Sunburn, chlorine, and aching muscles… those were the days. thanks, Katie🙏🏻🕊️
My friend, the image of the gull dragging the chip packet really caught me. It’s small, almost incidental, but it mirrors the whole piece…a subtle resistance that doesn’t need to announce itself. That detail delivers, along with the whole poem! Great job, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
That gull is always there at the periphery but dives in at any given opportunity 🕊️🙏🏻
Good write A. Yes, water is rather wet, if I recall correctly! lol.
Exactly! An all too glossed over factoid 🙏🏻🕊️💦🌊💧
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