WOW! I Did It!

There were many of us

This was in fact a race for life

Before us were many obstacles

You can’t imagine the strife

On your mark! Set! Boom!

The noise of a gun

And we were off and swimming

What a run!

We jostled for room

After a frenetic dive

Into the pool we had landed

And into overdrive

I was conscious of my competition

But I couldn’t call any by name

That didn’t matter to me

I was on top of my game

They headed to the front

I stayed back a little

I decided there and then

I must conserve my vittles

Oh I was charged up

And rearing to go

But for the time being

I would just swim with the flow

There was only one prize

Yes that meant only one of us

So you would understand

That one prize was our focus

I did not volunteer for this

I was actually forced

That’s when it appeared to me

This was par for the course

At first we had momentum

Like we were being pushed along

I was enjoying this

I had felt so strong

  

Almost suddenly though

The momentum just left

And that’s when I noticed

Some competitors took a rest

They were not ready for this

It was like bitter sweet

The sweet was at the beginning

Now the bitter was defeat

At first it looked like a pool

But it became a swamp

Now we were really struggling

When at first we had romped

After the dive in we took off

With that initial squirt

Now as the plot was thickening

We all began to hurt

There were so many obstacles

We were severely thwarted

More than once along the course

I wish I had aborted

But struggled on I did

My confidence beginning to wane

That’s when I recognized

There is a point to being insane

By this time many had given up

Things had become real bad

And to continue in this swamp

I would have to be mad

Backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly

All of these I did

Yes I had to be versatile

As I continued in my bid

The curves and tunnels were many

It was like swimming in a tube

If ever you stopped to rest

After that you couldn’t move

I paced myself really well

I was intent on winning

And though I wasn’t sure what

I wanted it from the beginning

Isn’t that particularly strange?

Racing for a prize?

Not knowing what it is

But relishing the surprise?

My speed had actually picked up

I was swimming against time

I was not really sure what it was

But I felt it in my mind

It was as if timing was the key

The key was being on time

Not too early or not too late

And the prize at that time I’d find

Suddenly I began to get some signals

They were coming pretty strong

It was as though I was nearing the point

And the prize for which I longed

To my left and to my right

Many of my competitors were there

I began to wonder for to me

The winner was not clear

Suddenly with a surge

And one not entirely of my own

I was drawn across the line

Yes!  I did it!  I was home!

I alone had made it

I had won the prize

The naked truth of the matter is

I was the only one to survive

Actually I am still around

Of course not in the same form

To have continued like that

Would not have been the norm

When I met up with my prize

A metamorphosis took place

Now I know from where I came

Since my origin I can trace

None that started out with me

Is still around today

You may say that’s unfortunate

But sometimes that is nature’s way

That event was long ago

As a matter of fact over six decades

WOW!  I did it!  I must admit

Having swum the Everglades

Stewart Russell © May 2018