"I Don't Swim" by Ghufran Salih

I don’t swim

risk averse

[adjective]

disinclined or reluctant to take risks

ghufran

[noun]

a natural state of risk aversion

floating in a state of carefree bliss

on buoyant waters of the Dead Sea

but this sea does not feel dead to me

to jump into such waters requires

good company and

your eyes closed

as my feet met the sea

any sense of comfort left

me

I am not one to swim

to float

but why

I’ve been told

don’t swim, muslim women

don’t swim in america

It’s not proper

It’s not normal

and when I look around

I don’t see me swim

I don’t see her swim in france

because of the burkini ban

but this isn’t france

this isn’t america

this is jordan

I can see me swim

I see her swim

my comfort came back

my scarf tied into a turban

my oversized t-shirt

leggings as my swimsuit

floating in a state of carefree bliss

on buoyant waters of the Dead Sea

but this sea does not feel dead to me

remember when I said

I don’t swim

I do now