All At Sea

By Gaurav Parab

The things he did to catch her sight,
A bright orange shirt - black pants a little tight.
The body on the poster he tried to make his own,
The weights he lifted - the muscles that got torn.

Practiced the right expressions to make heads turn,
Smile to say hello, raise your eyebrow to show concern.
Got the whole lesson mixed up as his confidence dipped,
Raised an eyebrow to say hi, he smiled when she slipped.

Luck finally turned around and she came to him,
Asked the boy if he could teach her to swim.
He said yes, and they walked nervously to the pool.
As he drowned, she screamed Somebody please save this fool.

Years later the boy saw that confident girl again,
The same joy – and a feeling he could never explain.
He went up to her and said “Do you remember me?”
Yes, you are the boy who made me feel all at sea.