i like swimming
i like swimming not for the same reasons as every other person
not for the hot summer days where the water dripped heavily off of the crooks of my face
where sunburn was just a minor consequence to pay for the days in the pool i spent with friends
and not for the way i can move water, as if i have the power to control elements
i like swimming because underwater, there is total silence
there isn't a sound to be heard
you can scream and shout and cry and no one would ever know
i like swimming because this silence is enough to drown out the voices of all those who don't approve
and because when your lungs start to burn you know you hold the power of life or death
and when your eyes fade with a fuzzy white around the edges you have to make a choice
breathe or drown, breathe or drown
is there a difference?
