At the YMCA Swimming Pool, Summer of ‘94
At the YMCA Swimming Pool, Summer of ‘94
by Stephen Briseño
I am the boy whose flab
causes him to hesitate
when removing his shirt,
spilling scars, stretch marks,
scanning for the pods of other kids
before diving into the deep.
I am the boy whose quiet
disturbs their storms, already
spinning within their chests.
In the shallow end, they wonder
where the shores
of human dignity meet
their waves.
My mother tells me
They are just words.
But words, I have come to learn,
can make summer end early
and winter last for years.
Stephen Briseño is a poet, photographer, and middle school English teacher. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Memoir Mixtapes, 8Poems, formercactus, Riddled with Arrows, and Right Hand Pointing. He lives in San Antonio, TX with his wife and daughter, where you can usually find them lounging at a coffee shop. Follow him on Twitter: @stephen_briseno
Image by elaine, found on Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/6UdUnR
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