Summer swimming

Four sprites bob up

And down in the water

The cool of the water worn off

They turn on each other

 “He splashed me!”

                 “She took my beach ball!”

                                   “He pulled my hair!”

                                                       “She dunked me!”

I breathe deep

“Then get out,” I suggest

 They recoil into the deep

Pretending the sirens

Called from beneath

A few minutes of peace pass

Then the battle begins again

the shouting, arguing

dissolves into name-calling

I seethe

Can they really be brothers? Can they really be sisters?

“Then get out,” I command

Teeth clenched

Four bodies heave

Themselves onto the pool deck

Arms crossed

Eyeballs rolling

Frowns and eyebrows knitted down

Grace please, I choke silently

To the God who made water, who made them

I don’t know what to do, Lord

I stare them down

Speechless, thinking frantically

Their bodies relax

All four like stair steps

Standing in a row

Maybe she won’t lecture,  their thoughts

Flicker like ticker tape

Across their foreheads

They stand perilously close

To the water’s edge

What if…

My wicked grin flashes

  Splash,

                Splash, 

                             Splash,

                                        Splash.

I push them in quickly

Two at a time

Before they can react

They break the surface sputtering

But laughing

And they finally unite together

To splash and soak me

~suelarkinsweems ’11

*no children were harmed in the creation of this poem*