I see the black cross at the end of the lane,
I see the bubbles, I feel the rush before the flip,
I feel the burn of my oxygen deprived muscles,
I feel the suit- tight against my body, the cap
securing my hair in place, the goggles covering
my eyes, I taste the chlorine and I taste the heat,
I hear the yelling, the gasping of breath, and the
bad techno music expelled from crappy speakers,
even when my eyes are closed long after the
lights go out and the cold seeps it's way under
the covers and settles into my bones.

That, is how much I swim.