Three Stages of Entering a Pool (Age 6)

1. I expect to grow a pair of fins,
wait impatiently in my sky-colored bathing suit
with polka dots
as my overprotective mother
smothers me in sunscreen,
SPF 75.
2. I adjust pink goggles,
inflate neon-orange water wings.
I dip my big toe into clear pool water.
Feels like the perfect temperature to
swim like a sleek dolphin,
or hunt for hidden pirate treasure.
3. I run into the pool,
create a big splash.
I notice that I have
not grown fins,
not turned into a mermaid,
but stand in the knee-high water,
surrounded by other children my age,
disappointed that I still have two arms,
two legs, and can’t breathe under water.