Take Your Marks

A sudden realization in the back of a subaru A panic, driven by an anxiety I am clinically chained to With all of the time I have been given and all of the love I have been given what have I done for myself? What have I done on my own? Practice begins, no introductions, no tutorials Here I am in my brand new swimsuit and cap Scared as all hell Into the water I dive, surrounded by this choice to start anew Out of breath Cramping calves Burning arms And a smile on my face A single length used to leave me incapacitated And I think back, receiving a framed award "Most Improved" tears welling 500 yards of pure joy Pure pain, pulling through the thick and chilled water They ask me why I do this to myself That is it I do this to myself And that is what makes it worth it