Nightswimming: Nostalgia in a Song
A moment captured in time; a wistful longing for the gossamer moments of untamed youth…
The headlights shone towards the water, illuminating us as we stepped into the lake, striding deeper and deeper until we slipped beneath the surface. The beams clicked off, leaving us only with moonlight.
My hair swirled around my face as I swam further, the water rippling around my nakedness. I was free, weightless, untethered by clothing, expectations, or even gravity.
The moon was high above, the water dark. The warm, humid summer night air felt silky against my wet skin. A thin towel, old He-Man T-shirt, and frayed jean shorts lay ready on the hood of the car.
Blankets laid on grass invited stargazing and murmured conversations punctuated by the symphony of crickets and tree frogs performing from the forest nearby.
The perfect snapshot of a moment, a capture of vibrant youth, a whispering breath of memory, held near to my heart in precious clarity.
It was all so fleeting.
Nightswimming, the misdemeanor
It was summer 2001. I was 19. A friend was a part-time park ranger at a local state park.
