The Pool of Love

Poseidon.
 
All week I sat watching the high divers.
Oiled bronze statues that shimmered in the midday sun.
They prepare to display their skills to a hushed audience.
Then...tumble turns, backward spins, and twists.
Flying down like sleek seabirds, slicing through the water to great applause. 

A silence falls as he steps forward.

Poseidon, the sea god, the supreme god of all high divers.
He acknowledges the adoring crowd then slowly arches backwards and places one hand on the tip of the springboard.
For a few moments he holds the pose.
As if touched by a breath of wind he falls like a slender spear to pierce the water with barely a ripple.

The Diver.

At the end of the swimming pool she sits amidst her group of devoted admirers who brush her hair.
Beautiful, elegant.
She was beyond my wildest dreams, unattainable to me.
Unknown to her I was in love with her.
From the very first time I saw her, my heart ached, my head pounded.
 
Today was my last day at the pool.
I had made the decision to dive.
To topple Poseidon from his throne.
I was going to draw her to me, to fear for my safety.
I wanted her to come forward and stop me, to say she loved me.
I wanted...
 
I stood on the top springboard
The rose held tight between my teeth.
I clap my hands twice and dived... into the pool of love. 
 
The Spectator.
 
Someone screamed 'No, no, no!
I joined the crowd gazing skywards at a young man about to dive.
The red safety chain barring access to the top diving board had been removed and clanged against the steel steps.
Moving closer I recognised my son balanced on the highest of the springboards, fifty feet or more. 
Only the most proficient and skilled divers could achieve the turn in the shallow water.
My son was a non-swimmer and terrified of heights.
 
Beside me a beautiful elegant young girl stood up to watch.
She reminded me of someone I once knew a long time ago.