500 Yards | Teen Ink

500 Yards

June 1, 2011
By Gereldine5 SILVER, Jacksonville, Florida
Gereldine5 SILVER, Jacksonville, Florida
5 articles 9 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
Save the Drama for Your Llama


Twenty five yards of glass stretch out before me.
My hands sweep back the golden locks and place it into the cap.
My head held high I look towards the finish line.
I hear nothing, the shapes fade away for it is only me and the five hundred yards today.
The breeze runs through and causes the surface to ripple, the perfect glass shattered into thousands of little waves.
The whistle blows, a distant sound yet one that I know well.
My goggles come down upon the tan-lined face as my callused feet brush against the rough blue top of my old friend.
My hands come down and grip onto the front of the starting block, my friend, my enemy, my advantage.
My muscles tense as silence grows and no one makes a sound.
The beep comes drifting through the mists and I begin to fly.
Soaring out far, my hands gripped together, the silence knows no bounds.
I watch the blue come up and greet me and I slice through the depths like a knife. The silver bubbles floating to the top and I slowly glide. Coming up for a precious gasp the graceful dance begins. I fly through the waters, graceful as can be and allow myself to soar. The numbers appear upon the wall, only eighteen more laps to go. Every four laps I gain on speed, watching the pistons work. My arms arched high I flip and glide away from my twelfth lap. The cheers are floating among the mists of my concentrated mind. One, two, three, breath, one, two, three, breath is all that takes up my mind. Crystal pieces fly through the air, the yells growing and fading. I flip into the dreaded last lap, the one that everyone fears. I feel myself exploding through the waves, surfacing like the enemy submarine. The speed coarses through my veins this is what I was made to do. The silence of the water surrounds me as I quickly kick my feet. Deadly power, exploding will I pull ahead of them all. Touching the wall, I allow the smile to spread across my dryed, cracked lips. A winner, the temporary pain forgotten and replaced by the everlasting pride.


The author's comments:
I am a swimmer. Like my father and granddad, I plan to take the world by storm and travel around the globe. I wanted to write about my favorite race and show just what it feels like to truly, competitively swim. People say it isn't a sport. They are correct...it is a way of life.

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This article has 4 comments.


on Jul. 29 2011 at 8:10 pm
singergurl12 GOLD, Jacksonville, Florida
15 articles 0 photos 190 comments

Favorite Quote:
Fairy tales are true, not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.

omg susie this is amazing!!!! i'm sooo proud of you! i swear this NEEDS to be published!!!!!!!!!!!!!

on Jul. 4 2011 at 4:36 pm
Gereldine5 SILVER, Jacksonville, Florida
5 articles 9 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
Save the Drama for Your Llama

(: Thank you! I worked really hard on it.

on Jul. 3 2011 at 6:48 pm
Sunset_on_tomorrow SILVER, Atlanta, Georgia
9 articles 0 photos 21 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the WORD of our LORD stands forever.&quot;<br /> Isaiah 40:8

I love this! The imagery is so great!

on Jul. 2 2011 at 8:23 pm
Gereldine5 SILVER, Jacksonville, Florida
5 articles 9 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
Save the Drama for Your Llama

t to clear something up-the whistle tells swimmers to get up on the block, the bleep is the go. Just sayin' so know one gets confused.