stay off the rope

the shrill whistle
of the thin tanned
boy, up high in the chair,
white zinc spread
on his long nose,
sunglasses on, and red
trunks. he blows again
the high pitched whistle
making heads turn
to where the trouble
lies, and yells. stay off
the rope and waves with
his long arms urgently
for the children
to stop hanging onto
the blue twine stretched
from one silver hook
to the other. dividing
the deep water from
the shallow. and as
you swim through life
there seems to always
be a rope and someone
blowing a whistle as
you move about the pool.