By Andrey Goubanov

for Tom Laughlin

When someone saves a grasshopper,
The other saves his soul
By gliding on the pond surface
When water striders stroll.

When someone paddles a kayak,
The other tries breaststroke:
Fulfilling inner yearnings
When fleeing from their folk.

When someone jams to hip-hop tunes,
The other prefers silence,
Annoyed by careless visitors
When searching for compliance.

When someone dives into the abyss,
The other likes to float:
He has thalassophobia 
When depths choke on his throat.

When someone needs to go back home,
The other will remain
Admiring the sunset
When the rest of them complain.

When someone hides their body
By shielding with sunscreen,
The other jumps into the waves
When conquering their fear!

When someone grabs their pals from work
And drives to drink at bars,
The other eats a homemade meal
When Walden Pond’s afar.