Haven’t We All Wanted To Sink In A Sequined Outfit?

Ele Jenkins draws, paints and stitches on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people. They attended the Comics Art Workshop in 2022, and have had work published by The Nib. Find more of their work at http://www.elejenkins.com/

Madison Godfrey is a writer, editor, educator, and the author of Dress Rehearsals (Allen & Unwin, JOAN 2023). Their writing has been described as “sensual and often funny” by The Guardian and “fiercely punk and undeniably powerful” by ArtsHub. Madison lives on Whadjuk Noongar land with their rescue cat Sylvia.

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June 28TH, 2024 / COMIC POEMS

Elite synchronised swimmers aren't allowed to touch the pool floor, just as I am not allowed to touch the future. Image shows a group of swimmers underwater, gathering in a tangle of bodies ready to launch their teammate up and out of the pool.

Perhaps what is most interesting about the sport is the unseen limbs, how legs appear as if bodies without faces attached. Image shows three swimmers upside down in the water with their legs extended upwards. Their bodies are divided in two by the text of the poem.

There are days I wake up and wish to be all thighs and 180-degree ankles, less of this ribcage / chin / facial expression / time-your-eye-contact ordeal. Image shows disembodied legs, fanned out and overlaid on top of one another. The paint has begun to run in watery blotches. At the bottom of the image, pairs of feet emerge from the churning water, toes neatly curled.

$I'd probably still worry that I pointed my toe at someone for too long. Image shows a swimmer upside down under the water with an expression of concentration. Her lower legs are distorted by the refraction at the water's surface.$

My favourite part of the videos is when scores are announced, and swimmers begin to cry. Like the aquatic version of overpacking a suitcase. Tears streaming down their faces as if their bodies have reached full capacity of liquid. Image shows a row of swimmers' faces. Their expressions are caught between laughing and crying. They are splashed all over with blue and pink watercolour, which drips down the page like tears. Underneath is the same row of swimmers with the image flipped upside down, gathered in a group hug.

I imagine a swimmer kissing someone on a dance floor, months from this moment, and the recipient licking their lips with confusion at the chlorine. How devotion seasons spit. Image shows a pale and impressionistic close-up of two swimmers kissing. The image appears blurry, as if painted onto wet paper. Big pink splashes and drips cover the image, a little like drops of spit.

On days when I wear stage makeup underwater, I wonder if I am almost drowning, but in a beautiful pose. Whenever I am briefly able to catch a breath, I find myself smiling towards scoring judges instead. Image shows disembodied eyes wearing garish pink and yellow eyeshadow. The eyes are overlaid with pale blue watercolour brushstrokes.

An underwater camera monitors competitive precision, but this secret footage isn't included online. Image shows a smiling open mouth painted messily in bold red watercolour. The image is painted to deliberately be badly blurred and indistinct.

I wonder if the swimmers smile under there. Perhaps an orthodontist has piped perfect silicone to waterproof the gaps between their teeth. Image shows a row of disembodied teeth curved in a smile, painted in the same style of splashed, blurred watercolour.

$I watch an athlete faint at the end of her routine. Image shows a scene underwater. We are looking up at the reflection of a swimmer on the surface of the water. Her body appears weirdly stretched and distorted by the refracted light.$