Weight of Gold

The blue of the pool turns to charcoal and grit,

The engine gasps its last breath of oil and smoke. 

The world is hollow, dark and unlit,

The throat of the ocean begins to rattle and choke.

The engine gasps its last breath of oil and smoke, 

I slip into the abyss, the rope a cold snake on my wrist. 

The throat of the ocean begins to rattle and choke, 

My sister’s eyes are the only stars in the mist.

I slip into the abyss, the rope a cold snake on my wrist, 

A heavy weight drags at my neck, gold and bronze. 

My sister’s eyes are the only stars in the mist, 

The shore is a ghost that flickers and then it is gone.

A heavy weight drags at my neck, gold and bronze,

I tear the ribbons away, let the metal sink to the floor. 

The shore is a ghost that flickers and then it is gone, 

I do not need trophies to know I am worth more.

I tear the ribbons away, let the metal sink to the floor, 

Lightning stabs the dark where the sharks lie in wait. 

I do not need trophies to know I am worth more, 

My kick is the power that can carry this weight.

Lightning stabs the dark where the sharks lie in wait.

A snake pit, like an inferno, nothing can bring this down

My kick is the power that can carry this weight.

I am tired and crushed, can I take a dive? Can I drown?

A snake pit, like an inferno, nothing can bring this down

My skin is a map of salt, my heart is a choir

I’m a heartbeat of iron that refuses to drown.

The tide is a witness to the dream I acquire.

My skin is a map of salt, my heart is a choir

The world is hollow but I’ve turned the tide.

The reach of my stroke is the aim I desire,

The blue of the pool turns to Olympic pride.