Since it’s Memorial Day weekend, my thoughts turn to beaches, pools, and swimming. Our little great-niece loves the water, and we eagerly await her and her brother’s visit in a month or two. Bring on the snacks, flip flops, towels, sunscreen, and bathing suits—and sand tracked everywhere, of course. I chose Michael Simms’ poem “The Summer You Learned to Swim” for Poetry Friday. It begins,

The summer you learned to swim
was the summer I learned to be at peace with myself.

You can read the rest at the Poetry Foundation.

For more poems, head over the the Poetry Friday roundup at Carol Labuzzetta’s blog, The Apples in My Orchard.

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17 responses to “Swimmingly”

  1. Jane the Raincity Librarian Avatar

    It’s warm and bright and sunny here too, my thoughts are turning to water as well!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Enjoy the good weather! I’m looking forward to some beach picnics this summer. Thanks for stopping by, Jane.

      Like

  2. theapplesinmyorchard Avatar

    The whole poem is a lesson in parenting. Thanks for sharing it. And, the beach looks so very inviting! Thanks.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      It really is, Carol. The poem took me back to the swimming-lesson days of our now-adult son.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. margaretsmn Avatar
    margaretsmn

    ”I learned to stand and wait for you to come to me.” A beautiful way to express life as a parent. It’s hard to hold back, but it’s worth it! Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      It’s SO hard to hold back! The poem really spoke to me. Glad you liked it, too, Margaret.

      Like

  4. Linda M. Avatar
    Linda M.

    What an incredible poem! I had not seen that before. Thanks for sharing it. I love that idea of making peace with oneself.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      I like that idea, too, Linda.

      Like

  5. patriciafranz Avatar

    Love-love-love this poem, Susan. That last line, especially: “and I learned to stand and wait for you to swim to me.” Must be the prayer of every parent. Thank you for sharing it this weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      New England winters are long, and we spent many hours at the YMCA’s indoor pools with our son. This really reminded me of that time. I’m glad it spoke to you, too, Patricia.

      Like

  6. mbhmaine Avatar

    Oh my gosh. I love that poem SO much, Susan. It brought me close to tears. The parent-child link is so real and tangible and beautifully expressed. I could pick so many images and lines that just sang for me! Thank you so much for sharing this poem today.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      It’s a good one! I’m so glad you liked it, too, Molly. I had a similar reaction.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Karen Edmisten Avatar

    Oh, Susan, that poem took my breath. Loved it!

    These lines:

    That summer all the world

    was soul and water, light glancing off peaks.

    Oh, so good. The whole thing is so good.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      So good! I agree. It was an unexpected find. Thank goodness for the Poetry Foundation and its treasures.

      Like

  8. Michelle Kogan Art, Illustration, & Writing Avatar

    Love the heart packed full into this poem, and the holding back to let the child spring forth, lovely thanks Susan! Enjoy your forthcoming great niece visit!

    Like

  9. maryleehahn Avatar
    maryleehahn

    I have so many memories of summertime at the pool. It was a constant from the time I was four until I was in college — swimming, playing, on the team, teaching lessons, lifeguarding. It was incredible to me a year ago April that my 9 year-old niece and nephew couldn’t put their faces under water, let alone float. We/I remedied that real quick, let me tell you, and by the time I went back last August, both were swimming. What a change!

    Like

    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Awesome! I spent SO much time at a neighborhood pool club when I was a kid, too, Mary Lee. I was on the swim team and though I wasn’t fast, I gained skills that I still use today! Not that I could do more than, at best, a couple of strokes of butterfly…

      Like

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