“The tropical depression “Will leave in its wake “Riptides, undertows, big waves.” To swim or not? This is not a new question. Always, I weigh risk. Always, I think of the forecasted dangers. Always, I hesitate on an edge. As I watch the waves rise. As I listen to them as they fall before me. Today, though, I think of my daughter. Always, she knows when it is time To surrender to the greater force Driving the wave: She dives through it without hesitation. She does not surrender to fear: She emerges on the other side In deeper, calmer water, A sea nymph Sharing the magic of her being As this lost Odysseus Looks on.