I used to think I was socially awkward and self-conscious

I don’t quite fit in at a Starbucks and definitely not among monster trucks

Martial arts made me fall apart and even in run clubs I try too hard

But this afternoon I found myself among a different caucus

Just doing what I do, adventuring with my dog

We went to the lake after there was a clear in the fog

A spectacular afternoon to head to the lake

Turns out the private high school kids were also out of the gate

The kids were hoarding the floating dock with their boats

Their t-shirts read Catholic Crew

My dog took off to the marsh at low tide

Down among the reeds were two of the kids there to hide

The one girl said, “My name is Drew;” the other, “I’m Cote”

I asked what they were doing apart from their team

They told me they were tired of living their parents’ dream

A head of blonde hair was there on the shore

Drew held a pair of scissors

It was clearly Cote’s hair she’d chopped

Cote handed Drew a peanut butter sandwich

Drew said, “My parents want me to stop”

She was a little pudgy

My dog came out of the water, his paws were muddy

Between the girls there was also a black duffel bag

Out poked some rubber snakes

Orange, brown, black, red

Drew said, “They’re fake. Don’t say anything or we’ll be dead”

A few seconds later I heard a loud scream

Out on the lake some girls wearing dresses of the color cream

Waddled their boats and then splashed into the lake

Cote and Drew hi-fived and ate – the peanut butter sandwiches

They offered me a bite

My pup rubbed against their clothes but the girls said, “We don’t mind”

I asked for some snakes to take to work

The girls gladly shared

The girls who’d gone into the water came out – make-up down their faces, their dresses wet

Cote and Drew roared with laughter, like a jet

Their adversaries were wearing alligator underwear

The popular boys on the crew team stopped to laugh and stare

“It’s okay,” said Drew and Cote

“They are our sisters. We just needed something to get even – so we ruined their senior pictures. We knew they could swim. Don’t worry about them.”

I told Drew that peanut butter makes women strong

And Cote that short hair is the new long

That they both looked great

They sat with me and tossed the frisbee for my dog out on that lake

It was fun with those girls

For an afternoon, we, though strangers, social norms hurled

Drew left feeling strong

Cote, beautiful

My pup, muddy but lovely

Me, like I belonged