Friday, July 27, 2018

A Cancun Resort Pool: A Complicated Poem

A Cancun Resort Pool: A Complicated Poem


Quiet softens her eyes to the pool floor as the anxious riser enters the water.
Anxiety welcomes him for a swim.
Each stroke a worry or a regret.

Striving has been awake for a while.
A girl and her father.
He sits, an unkind coach.
She pushes and pulls her way through through the pool- training.

Self-care stretches and gets ready for her swim.
A woman, two men work their way through laps.
Thoughtful.
Hearts pounding.
Breathing.
Quiet lifts her eyes to welcome them.

The Sun moves from the pool's edge to warm the waters more directly.

Routine’s alarm goes off.
Couples, with teens in bed,
or work-worries tucked tightly in their laptops,
bring coffee and stand in the pool.
Feet grounded.
Soft voices.

Fun begins to waken in the pool waves.
His soft morning giggles move through the water.
The Sun begins her dance on the pool water's peaks.

The children come.
Floaties because their feet don’t touch.
Fun looks up and smiles, laughs, climbs the stairs, and jumps into the water.
Splash.
Teens check their cell phones.
The bartenders arrive.

Addiction and Party take a  turn in their sleep.
Their wake up call is next.
Quiet looks for her book and her towel.
Fun pretends Addiction won’t come to the pool today.

It’s Complicated- invites everyone for a Margarita.
Everyone but Safe and Sober join.
Quiet pretends to drink and watches.

The pool-side bar fills.
Addiction is telling Fun a joke.
He doesn’t get it right.
No one notices that Quiet and Safety went to swim with dolphins.

Love watches Drunk yell at her kids as they dive-

— you are not supposed to dive.

Love sends Drunk a prayer.
Avoidance moves her seat.
Judgement stays to watch.

The group tours return.
Centered invites them for a nice swim.
The afternoon sun lights the other side of the pool's waves.

Fun is getting tired.
Addiction gets him a cup of coffee and a shot of tequila.

Safety returns with Nourishment.
They say it’s time for dinner.
Before drinking his shot, Fun decides to go to dinner.
Connection and Joy join for dinner.
Leaving the pool, they eat and share and laugh.

The pool-side bar closes.

Addiction and Tension go bar hopping.
So does Celebration.
We just got married.
We just got engaged.
25 years for us.

The pool empties.

Quiet comes to swim as the shade makes her way across the pool.

Solitude joins.

The water stills and cools.
The moon.
The stars.

 And Quiet lifts her eyes to welcome them.



Catherine Cook-Cottone


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