12 August 2018

By Philip Kuepper

The rowers’ powerful backs
curved over their oars
in geometric exhaustion
after drawing water,

water that had drawn
effort from the rowers
on the drafting board
of sport.

They sat, rows of arcs,
rows of eights arcs,
rows of miniature rainbows
gasping for air,

arcs engaging the plane of water,
until they rose, slowly,
sitting erect,
into right angles.

(11 August 2018)