Lyric

Last night I said, “I’ll come watch you swim”

Soft in the dark, as the night closed in

Your face lit up like the morning sun

Before the day had even begun

Ten o’clock and the water’s alive

Whistles and voices, the pool in a dive

Through the glass our eyes found a way

You smiled at me, no words to say

I saw you there, every kick, every try

The wobbly form and the fire in your eyes

Moving ahead though you’re not always sure

I’ve never loved you like this before

You never spoke, but I knew it was true

Your silent voice was calling me through

No ribbon won, but I’ll tell you it’s clear

Today you’ve passed, you’re a champion here

Crowds were packed on the poolside floor

The teacher’s voice couldn’t reach anymore

Then you stood tall and your call rang out

“Move in close!”—such a fearless shout

That mighty sound made me laugh inside

But it was real, with a leader’s pride

Somehow I knew, in the way you stood

You’d found the strength I always hoped you would

I saw that spark in the moment you spoke

The will in your shoulders, the words that you wrote

In the air with your voice, for the whole class to hear

You stood unafraid, and you pulled them near

You never spoke, but the look in your eyes

Carried a truth that can never lie

In sixty minutes, through all that you did

Every moment was fully lived

When the class was done, you came out to me

A little more tall than you used to be

“Don’t you think my swimming’s grown?”

I laughed and said in a teasing tone

“Yeah, you shocked me, that voice you own”

(So loud it could break a stone)

I saw it all, I was there the whole way

From the quiet waits to the games you played

The thunderous call, the shy little grin

All the small victories you carried within

Sixty minutes, and every part

Was shining bright, straight from your heart

No need for words, in the look you gave

You’re already strong, you’re already brave