MidStream

Muddy water swirls;

legs numb in glacial chill

slippery stones, rounded by the laughing current

caress and bruise my feet

Moments, just moments ago;

standing on the river edge,

Sun warm on my shoulders

grass soft and fragrant below me

The river sang, dancing, glittering in the sun

Clear and bright,

beckoned me

My way seemed sure and easy

But

     One step in

the bottom shifted under my feet,

silken silt drifted up

obscuring the crystal flow.

The current presses me one way;

my heart urges another.

Feet burning cold, struggling to find purchase

Arms spread wide for balance as I teeter there

midstream.

The sun still warms my hair,

like scattered gems

the surface sparkles.

Stand still a moment.

Just

     Breathe.

In stillness roiling water clears again

Balance regained

One step,

          one step

                    more

Against the insistent flow

to your outstretched hand.