Floating toward the center of the sea

bathing suit wrapped tight around me

where else would I be

if not here

then somewhere on the shore

feeling the waves rise over my feet.

Without a bathing suit

my wet clothes cling to my body

cold and mean

they are not designed for the ocean

but my bathing suit brings me to the sand

to the water

where I belong

Floating toward the center of the sea

the sunlight pouring down on me

turning the dark waters aquamarine.

In my bathing suit

I am part of the ocean

one with the fish, the coral, the sand

and although I cannot touch the bottom,

I can feel it

and the creatures that hide from my sight

curious

in my bathing suit.