My first (but definitely not last!) time swimming naked in the ocean. This poem was written later than "San Gregorio" but earlier than summer 1970, when I participated in the Wreck Beach Nude-In in British Columbia.
Well there we were
and everybody looked at each other and in their own
characteristic ways showed their embarrassment
but I felt so free I thought "What the hell"
and I started to take off my clothes.
They all looked at me I think they thought me
a bit of an exhibitionist
but I didn't care because I was
stepping into the icy surf
flinching a little at the cold cold water
swimming jumping strong and naked through the churning waves
floating in the foam a half foot thick
not quite seeing the gently curving glass wall until almost
andthennoteventhinkingleapingsoaringcleaving
the body of the wave with my own.
Thinking, perhaps a little playfully,
what it would be like if I couldn't make it back in
or didn't want to
but somewhere behind the cliff
down the road you were waiting
so I started swimming in and felt myself
picked up surging crashing lurching
stumbling grasping wearily emerging
to where I could dry off get dressed come back
and tell you all about it.
San Gregorio, circa 1969-70