Swimmer (Published In My 5th Poetry Collection 'last Evening Was A River', Penprints, India,2024. Poem by Aneek Chatterjee

I don't know how to swim.
I tried many a times.
In sea, near the shore,
brown sands always fill
my mouth when I try to swim.
If I go further, dancing waves
make my body upside down
& after gulping gallons of water,
I give up, defeated.

In a clear water local river,
I ventured once.
But soon water hyacinths throttled me
from nowhere.
Didn't notice how they came, silently;
& covered my face & my (dull) head.
But still I adored the mauve flower
of the water hyacinths; while fighting out.

Long back, my swimming trainer
said that my training was complete;
and I (finally) learned to swim.
But father, I can't swim till date
in any sea, any river;
or
in any society.