Today the ocean is a turquoise jewel,
sparkling, crystalline and inviting.
Fins and mask in hand,
I wade in.
The first wave fails to render me breathless,
a sure sign that winter has passed for good.
The sea never lies.
Stroking out into deep water,
the bay, once shared with two other swimmers,
becomes mine alone.
And I soon discover why.
An offshore wind picks up,
causing me to flip on my back
and power back to the safety of sand.
Still in all, I have had my day.
Nothing could beat the feeling of freedom
this elicits, open ocean swimming, as if falling into air
before the parachute opens.