Student Publishing Program ::

Helen Z.

The Middle of Nowhere After Lloyd Schwartz’s “Nostalgia”

The hot Georgian sun.
A clear blue sky.
A deep square pool.
Twelve boards lined around its edges.
Stands full of onlookers.
A white tent full of gnats.
Hands slapping (gnats away).
Diving boards banging.
A coach yelling “hup”, then a smack.
A coach’s instructions; an athlete’s attention; a parent’s encouragement; a baby’s scream.
An exhilarating rush of events- no work, all play.
Splashes of water.
A perfect dive.
Camera flashes.
An announcer handing out awards.
Athletes smiling on the podium; athletes practicing behind them.
A child’s smile- two, three, no four new bathing suits in hand.
A bathing suit revealing a peeling sunburned back.
One more painful smack.
All pain turning only to gain.
Hot dogs sizzling on the grill in the distance.
A dog’s frightened yap, following another camera flash.
Divers lining up for march-in.
Storm clouds marching into blue sky.
A complaint.
A sudden roar of thunder.
A sudden downpour.
Bare feet scurrying down ladders.
Thumping down the stands, and into the white tent.
My feet automatically leading me for one last dive.

[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2012 EDITION]