Life jacket goes on
A paddle thrusts in my hands
The docks awaits me
...
A kayak is grabbed
Pulled closer towards the dock's edge
"Go ahead. Climb in."
...
One foot goes in first
Followed by the other foot
The boat starts to rock
...
I bend at my knees
I squat down, steady myself
The seat catches me
...
I push off the docks
Paddling through the water
I begin to glide
...
Churning and swirling
Small vortexes of water
Whirlpools in my wake
...
Large pond or small lake?
Forty feet at its deepest
Stick close to the wall
...
Tree branches hang low
Flower buds fall in the lake
Shade helps from the sun
...
The paddle feels short
I dig deeply on both sides
It's quite the workout
...
A small embankment
I like to think it's a cove
Sunlight's coming through
...
Mom and Dad row up
Mom rests her boat next to me
Later, we move on
...
Traveling the edge
Rotten trees on the bottom
New life grows on them
...
A freshwater lake
Blooming life like coral reefs
And long tendril plants
...
Small fish swim about
Hiding in vegetation
Darting in and out
...
There in the center
I think I see the shallows
I paddle over
...
Just as I expect
Portions of it are raised up
A mountainous lake
...
Paddle to the docks
I am helped with getting out
I leave with wet socks
...
The sun bakes on us
The lake was quite refreshing
Let's go grab a drink
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Comments (3)
Simply beautiful; almost enough to over ride my fear of large bodies of water (not quite) but it was really easy to get caught up in your words! (yet I have a thing for Karst sinkholes and we have a bluestone quarry lakes 2 miles from my home!)
I really enjoyed this poem and how it brought about both a sense of exploration and freedom and also of comfort. One can feel the sense of exhilaration as they paddle out further from the shore, and is this wrapped in warmth and familiarity as they approach the dock again. Well done!
Wonderful! Very sweet poem. Love this part very much: Paddle to the docks I am helped with getting out I leave with wet socks