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Writer's pictureTim Huber

The Swim

Down in the river

there’s a man left swimming.

Plowing the current

while daylight is thinning.

He doesn’t have long

till he’s carried off spinning

to the ridge of the fall

where he’ll drop and stop living.


What a splash he will make

when he reaches his fate.

What a sound he will make

falling flat on his face.


Further down the river

there’s a man left floating.

Drifting face down

unseen by those boating.

He’s gone far beyond

all those who were gloating

at his lack of courage

when he had to keep going.


What a splash he’d have made

had he not fallen down.

What a sound he’d have made

if he hadn’t been drowned.


At the top of the river

a man is still standing.

Out of the current

firm on the landing.

He swam to the end

his journey demanding

all that he had

and all he was planning.


What a splash he can make

because he kept swimming.

What a sound he can make

because he kept living.


 

This poem may seem a bit morbid, but it's meant to be encouraging. Life is difficult. It's full of disappointments and often feels like an upriver swim. That being said, it can be tempting to just let the current take us. Sometimes we can even think that letting go will have a bigger impact than the few inches we gain by continuing to swim. But I promise you, once you reach the end of the river, you'll realize that the swim was worth it. And your example may just inspire others to keep swimming a little longer. Never give up!

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