San Diego

By William T. Hathaway

In the pool
a girl,
slim and new-breasted, treads water,
watching the high-diving boys.
On the springboard
a lad,
skinny and shivering, wavers at the edge.
Above them
a Strike Eagle,
sleek and silver, plunges down,
trailing a snarl through the blue.
The boy salutes the dive bomber,
dances up his courage, and cannonballs.
The water explodes,
its flames engulfing a village.
The girl strokes towards the boy.