Becoming, Lucy

She swam
And swam
I had to look more than once

She had a rock on her back
Her arms swung in what looked like perfect rhythm
Her legs kicked too

But she wasn’t equipped for the water
Salt stung her eyes
The current pushed her sideways, back,
Never forward

Every breath she took, 
Water invaded,
Burning her lungs

She kept moving anyway
Like muscle memory
She didn’t make a sound

She didn’t notice me
She just kept kicking,
Swinging

She was drowning and didn’t make a noise