Swimming while crying is hard–
But not impossible.
You have to be careful to sob
With head out of water
Gulping in air with sudden, forceful gasps.
Take advantage of those moments
When you come to the end of the lane
To weep above-water at poolside. Let tears pelt the surface like rain,
Then count to five, declare Enough, and shoot like an arrow back in.

Swimming while crying is a technique that must be mastered–
But you can be sure I am not the first.
The pool where I swim in Jerusalem
Boasts champion swim-cry bi-athletes. I know of a few:
The woman at forty who longs for a child
The mother whose son was sent off to the war
The old man whose wife used to swim by his side every morning.
You, too, can count yourself among them. Try. It’s hard–
But not impossible.