Swimming in a Gated Community
Something about the plastic blue and white oval floaties
resting like rosary beads in the swimming pool
was basically my dad. Only I can know things
that are basically my dad.
When we floated in the pool
after hours in the gated community
my dad was everywhere in that universe
Chlorine kills bad things, you said
that's why pools are meant to be shared
meant to to be public
My dad is basically public
accessible in the things everyone uses around here
except for maybe the shuffle board
which aren't really a thing in the Philippines
where everything is tropically drenched
in Virgin Marys and Holy Ghosts
And because god is always watching
we are basically inside of everything
And my dad is interior and exterior
So what do these things matter
except for this holy water we are swimming in and round light projecting
infinite hues of green-blue
Maybe it's a sky or screen or pool
So full of karaoke
where my dad returns to pray
where I can hear him loud and bright