Treading Water

by Mabel Windred-Wornes, Ivy Windred-Wornes (Charm Of Finches)

We walked from Footscray all the way to Seaholme
And we talked about what we did when we were kids
We asked each other stupid questions, talked about the silly things
If only it could always be like this

We followed the path ‘round the coast in the sunshine
You couldn’t help but hold me to you close
And when you touched me I felt an aching
Fear of losing, fear of breaking
It took a while for that feeling to go

We both knew we were just treading water
Eventually drowned each other
Grab hold of you, pulled you under
Minds already the bluest colour

It's now I remember all of the best times
Like when we camped under stars when we first met
We climbed a hill to those abandoned trams
Lay together underneath the pines and
Skinny-dipped in the river as the sun set

And in all of the pictures where we’re together smiling
We both held our own wounds deep in our chests
Sometimes we wanted to scream aloud
But it’s easier to shut them out
Than risk breaking our many woven threads

We both knew we were just treading water