The old man recalls his father’s curt lesson—an unexpected toss off the deep end of the dock. Watching his son-in-law wade in for classes with his little son, the old man ponders the long distance between “sink or swim” and blowing bubbles in the shallows of a heated pool.

Lynn Kozlowski’s writing has appeared in such places as 50-Word Stories, The Quarterly, The Malahat Review, Poetry Breakfast, and failbetter.com. He has a volume of short pieces, Historical Markers.