Night Swims (poem)

I went to the beach recently

But by the beach, I mean the bay

By recent, I mean July

I walk there, shed everything I don't need

Stepping into the water, into expanse of thoughtlessness

Where no single thing operates me

The water is getting deeper

And I feel the sand beneath my toes turn to mud

And I walk until I can't touch anymore

I'm seeking something, but settling for nothing

Except to float

Night swims

A darker summer night, just a silver spoon of Moon

Cradling navy blue night sky

I think of God, and I think of my ex

And the two of them rally back and forth for a while

Night swims

A blanket of top waters, patterned with pure reflections

And in the distance

The muffled symphony of persons worrying is somehow comforting

To know it's not only me

So I slip beneath the surface

I leave the sand, and I feel the current take me

A distant pulsing beat, chatter melts into a mumble

For a moment it's simple, for a moment

I swear I can feel the world spinning

A night swim's what I needed

Sometimes the only way to stop thinking, but under the horizon

That's when I really start breathing

By breathing, I mean feeling everything and nothing simultaneously

By simultaneous, I mean miscellaneous

The vast variety of unknown swimming to expand the radius

Swimming in the craziness, but not becoming it

I'm taking night swims away from the lights

Because simple is nice

And it's changing my mind