I waited till nightfall
till the water was cold
till the water matched the midnight sky

I threw myself in

Face first I exhaled
till all the air fled my lungs
till I willed them to function as gills

I threw myself in

Motionless I became
till my exhilaration formed into yet another disappointment
till I had something else to add to my pile of outlier experiences

I threw myself in

Sensation returned to my eyes
till the sting of the sun again became a warm embrace
till understanding once again claimed squatter rights in my mind

I threw myself in

The river wouldn’t have me
In the morning on the other side of all the things
I went back to it all knowing

The river threw me out

© Christopher F. Brown 2015