Morning Swim

Waking up every morning
to what might have been
is to awaken into a dream.
Pinch yourself. Rouse the now.
Get your bearings. Blink.
The today that really is
must trump the yesterday
that never happened.
You must swim in that river of today
no matter how cold and lonely.
Take a breath and plunge in,
take a stroke, feel the possibilities,
exalt in the water of where you are,
then pull yourself up on a new shore
and let the sun dry your worries.
It is impossible to swim backwards.
  - mce