backstroke’s exhibit: 

cyan, azure, ebony 

then stars.  one by one.

haiku #39, 2/26/14

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Watching the flow of brilliant colors and costumes march past the observer of kiddie carnival is not unlike the similar blend of colors that one sees while watching

the Trinidadian daylight sky turn into a night sky while swimming the backstroke at the local outdoor pool between the hours of 5pm and 7pm.

While a haiku requires a strict limit of 17 short syllables, there were so many more colors I observed while watching day turn to night in the end of February in Port of Spain.

First there is the bright yellow gold of the sun before it sets, with the pink azalea blowing around in the breeze.

Then there is the flutter of darkness as the sun begins to think about sinking.

As it begins its descent, the sun picks up rosy orange hues along the way,

and soon the golden solar glow begins to fade

as horses ride the sunlight away into the

 dusk.

Some say they can see a flash of green at the point right after the sun sets.  I think I saw it too.

As the sun makes its remarkable yet daily journey,  I continue to watch the ever-changing exhibit from my backstroke front row seats, and I notice the sky that began as light azure blue

peppered with the most delicate of purples billowing through the breeze

is seamlessly morphing into multiple cloudless layers

of cerulean, cobalt, sapphire, and robin’s egg blue,

that I could see clearly even with my swim goggles on.

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The spectacularly changing sky is a show which happens every night, but here on this night, like many parades which drift pass too quickly,  I get tempted to shout out, “Slow Down!”

But alas, the show, and our lives, keep moving on towards deeper turquoises

and ultramarines.

The blues become deeper as our muscles get more tired,

and then the stars begin to come out.

One by one.  Some stars stroll in slowly,

others sparkle in like a sweet kiss,

still others barge in like an uproarious giggle.

As I kicked and splashed and dutifully swam my laps, the stars overhead shone like eyes watching me watching them.

As the deep purple sky turned into

blackness,

holding safe this parade of color and bedazzlement,

I could read the the secret message that was hidden in the stars and between the steel pan drum beats clearly: