The water around my feet was warm
Baby’s first bath
Grandma’s kitchen sink

The water around my ankles was still
Staying in the shallow end
Neighborhood swimming pool

The water at my knees was fine
Time drifting by
Water park inner tubes

The water at my thighs was cool
I waded to the deep end
Still plugging my nose

The water at my stomach was murky
Jumped out of kayaks
Couldn’t see my feet

The water at my shoulders was hot
Long showers after school
Helped keep me sane

My mother told me that everyone adapts
Darwin told me it’s the survival of the fittest

The water at my neck is rising quickly
It’s growing faster every day
The sky won’t stop raining

I can change for this world
I can change with the water
I can change the direction I’m diving
I can change the water around me
I can change how deep it is
I can change how hot it is
I can change this pool into a puddle

I can’t change the way the water touches me
I can’t change how high it rises
I can’t change the tides
I can’t change the flow of the Huron River
I can’t change a salty ocean into a tame pond

I can change myself for the better
I can run my hands through the river
I will float along with the currents
I will adapt with the water