If you don’t swim you wouldn't understand
The way it feels to get up at 5 in the morning,
flip on your cap,
slap on your goggles,
and jump in a freezing pool.

If you don’t swim you wouldn't understand
The way the water calls to us,
and feeds all our needs.
The feeling after practice,
that no one can bring you down from

If you don’t swim you wouldn't understand
We live for long meets,
stepping up on the block with everyone watching.
That pause between “Take your mark” and blaring BEEP,
then you are set free.

If you don’t swim you wouldn't understand
It is one of the greatest feelings,
to train so hard and so long,
to know you put in all the effort you could have,
for just a few seconds or minutes in the pool.

If you don’t swim you wouldn't understand
Once a swimmer always a swimmer.
We will always hear the water.
Near or far, when the need gets to be too much,
or our world gets too crazy,
the pool will always be there,
to take the edge off.

If you don’t swim you wouldn't understand.