I love sloppy swimmers

By Michael Zahn

I love sloppy swimmers,
the swimmers who wobble,
the bathers who bobble,
whose strokes are not smooth.

Undaunted by taunting,
some slap the water,
can’t kick like a clock,
some could lose weight,
some can’t swim straight,
some are just dreaming
of post-swim cake.

These are my people!
Imperfect bodies,
imperfect souls,
accepting the fact
they’ll never win gold.

But still they show up,
wobbles, bobbles and all,
compelled to respond
to the water’s call.