By Degrees- Childhood Reflections

The screen door slams behind me As I rush out into the blinding sunlight Wondering where my big brother is hiding I better get to the pool before he finds me And throws me into the ice cold water That flows daily into the pool From the cold mountain streams Of the Elbrus Mountains I have my pretty pink flowered bathing suit on My second skin I smile as I remember someone calling me a dolphin When she saw me swimming in the water Now I can’t wait to get in again I feel the prickly yellowing grass beneath my feet As I run toward the weeping willow…. My favorite tree in the whole compound First phase of the run complete I head toward the ancient mulberry tree How I hate the squishiness under my toes As I trample them in this patch of green Where the grass is protected by the mighty branches Of this gracious tree that provides us An abundance of luscious fruit We gather every summer in big bed sheets As people up in the branches Shake the tree I’m on my final leg Almost there A rebel yell And my brother swoops down on me From behind the tree I scream as I try to get away But he sweeps me up in his arms And runs the last few feet to the pool I shriek at the top of my lungs Which will probably bring my uncle out yelling Awakened from his afternoon nap I want to go into the pool gradually By degrees… To get my body used to the icy coldness And so I beg to be released We are there At the edge of the pool One sweeping motion And water splashes up in rainbow sprays As I sink below Down into the icy depth at the deep end Thinking this time my heart will stop This time I will turn into a block of ice And sink to the bottom I will drown A lifetime later I break the surface and see him smiling down at me The one who taught me how to swim My strong older brother Who would rescue me in a heartbeat If need be... I smile up at him As I break into a smooth swim to the other side Happy that he didn't let me play the fool Standing at the edge of the pool Waiting to come down the steps By degrees Waiting To get lost Into this liquid paradise Of azure blue... Eileen Manassian Ghali