Swimming
10/2009 Joshua Abelow

One time
I was in
Los Angeles.

Two girls
picked me up
at Wilshire
and Vermont and
drove me
to a bar.

We sat outside
and talked.

Then we
went to
one of
the girl's
apartments
to cook
and eat
and continue
drinking.

Around midnight
we went for a walk.

We found a
pool.

I watched
the girls
undress and
jump in the
water, but I
didn't take
my clothes
off or jump
in the water.

They told
me to jump
in, but I
didn't.

About a year later
I was in
Baltimore
with some
friends and
it was
after midnight.

They said, "Let's go swimming."

I said, "Okay."

We drove to a pool.

We scaled
the fence
and took off
our clothes.

We jumped
in the water.

I never felt better
about swimming.