Like a knife I cut the surface Of the deep dark saucer of the pool And plunge down Breath catching And rising As toes and fingers Are gripped by changing sensation; The coldness Seeps Through Warm skin Like a battery charger Creeping into every part of me, Leaving the world I know behind To join me to this new place In automatic union Of strange and raw freedom; Where stress has vanished Drawn by osmosis, Creating equilibrium In unknown depths Of different rhythms, Slowly Synchronised to my own; Matching my strokes To the draw of the current; My toes flexed Against a hidden force, Breath is even Energised and ready Awareness is sharpened The view is flattened Levelled with nature; I’m camouflaged At one with the river; My sight-line crossed By those who travel other paths Unfazed, Unknowing; The rules are changed.
Ruth Partridge 