Swimming Lessons

A test of the water, A dip of my toe. Undeniably chilly, But bearably so. Before I can swim, I must get undressed. I’ll start with my shirt, And then all the rest. I’ll glance about shyly, Then just take the dive. Returning for air, Now I’m feeling alive. This is how poetry Ever will be. A definite risk, But a way to be free. I show to the world, What others won’t bare. My vulnerable soul, Under scrupulous glare. Just as the clear water, A feeble veil makes. So scarcely can prose Conceal life’s mistakes. So under some metaphor Or in simile If you are looking, You’ll find naked me.