Lane Beside You

Dad, your arms were always waiting

Every time I jumped into the pool

Only years later did I realize

Your feet had never left the floor

When weekday afternoons grew longer

You hid the signup form beneath the mail

Then packed a brand-new swimsuit in your bag

And took your turn beside the water

That little distance from the wall

I kept trying to hurry you across

I watched the space beyond your fingertips

My own shoulders just as tight as yours

Learning there was something

You were still learning how to do

Somehow made me lose sight of

The hands that caught me every time

A folded towel stayed on the shelf

Two months passed without us going

Then one morning, side by side again

I took the lane next to your own

I missed a breath and stood back up

And saw a smile around your eyes

I laughed with you, and all at once

Forgot the lesson I had planned

That little distance from the wall

You crossed one day when I wasn't looking

I only heard when we were getting dressed

And loved the quiet pride upon your face

Learning there was something

You had worked out on your own

As you rubbed a towel through your hair

I saw a side of you I'd never known

By summer, with the far wall still ahead

You rolled onto your back to rest

I almost reached for you, then let my hand

Slip into the water at my side

I turned to face the ceiling too

The voices softened round my ears

Window light fell warm across my eyelids

Our open arms lay easy on the water

We left before you reached the other end

With more swim passes tucked inside your bag

Next time, I'll take the lane beside you

Still learning at a pace of my own