Sarah's Surprise

I hold onto slippery ankles
while Sarah stretches as far as possible
giggling so much I am afraid she will squirm from my grasp
a shaky worm of a girl coiling out to grasp a frog
I know she will not catch, yet I still encourage
as she emerges back on the boat, a wiggle of giggles
making me promise to close my eyes
her bathing-suit-clad-skinny-girl-self trembling with excitement
I laugh and oblige, falling back onto the seat
in a second she is upon me
her trembling fingers brushing back my hair
I can hear her excitement as she sucks in tight cheeks
my little fish, trying to hold back the squirmy worm of a girl
she is tucking something soft behind my ear
then her little body becomes a flurry of excitement
leaping around on the small pontoon
arms and legs flailing, smiling from ear to ear
she hollers out, “beautiful, beautiful,” as I feel the lily
that was supposed to be a frog
tucked snugly behind my ear