My Arms

My Arms

My arms enter the cool water of the lake before the rest of me

They pull me down towards the green jungle at the bottom of the bay

They let me explore and chase the fish before I have yo leave to go back up and breathe

My arms push Noodles, my big dog, out of the way as I come up to the surface

My arms stretch out to encircle her as I swim, all happy licking and splashing

My arms stretch out again, this time along the surface of the water, pulling me in long slow strokes toward the bobbing snorkel

Now my arms help me dive under the water again so I can swim under Kim and blow bubbles under him

We all come crashing to the surface in bubbles and laughing and avoiding Noodles' sharp claws

We swim to shore, my arms getting tired, but still pulling me along

As we sit in the warm mud on the shore my arms and Kim's arms entwine as Noodles gives us an impromptu mud bath

Kim spreads the warm mud on my arms and then I wipe them on Noodles

We jump back in the water, my arms losing the mud in a cloud that trails behind me

It is glorious summer and again my arms pull me down to the cool green underwater of fish and lakeweed and crawdads and muted sounds to just swim