You started out a trickle
Ran down
Turned dirt into mud
played in shadow
warmed in Sun

You gathered speed downhill
eager to see further
dying to know
what strummed hidden strings
inside to make music in silence.

A burn to know
why fires raged the world

A burn to know
what lie hidden behind it all

You traveled
met other trickling streams

joined together
shared a course
became pathways
turned corners
sprinted free
fell from heights
exhilarated drops
falling from peaks

something inside echoed to you

words dashed and skated from trees

glanced through tiger stripes
danced free in meadow
you strained to catch as many as you could flow out

intuition glistened
you learned a lot every time you didn't listen to it.

Something always seemed to try and interrupt your flow

Continuing down you heard a mighty rush.

Exploration carving mountain veins in something bigger than yourself.

When you merged in river
you were astounded by its width, marveled at its sheer power, respected its speed, drop by drop you grew.

Beneath a canyon
moonlight draped its magic
upon everything.

Sizzling violet freeze
sneaking through yourself

Indestructible light
hitting you
shuttering thought
opening knowing

lit up and transfixed
you ran

gathering momentum
you knew this body as one vessel

leaves drifted down
you floated them
to where they wanted to go.

Salmon flew up from below
trying to spawn
bruised and thrashed
they kept going

Resilience against the stream
crept into you, beckoned, turned a string, made a different sound, grew loud with change, something wild clawed your shine, drew you in, reversed the course, another tunnel underground opened up, you dove down, lost control, grew savage, turned hostile, lost speed, sat stagnant, began to stink, begged to feel light.

You ached to get back.
Searching for escape you evaporated.

Dissolved in air.

Dreams carried you high
white cloud absorption
floating through blue
waiting to cry

grey stained you
left you stranded
sky drift
years passed
lies became truth
questions exploded
wild wonder lost
hope for river
burning golden ropes
through your heart

Dreams smashed October
left it fluttering in bright annihilation.

Different strings played
other tunes surprisingly rash and full of contempt,
mashed you down.

A thousand feet of trample.

Distrust turned the world upside down

The moon disappeared
left you incomplete and full of absence.

Melancholy meltdown

Wars raged within
Love turned to hate
spikes grew and twisted cold metal reflecting everything back to you

Mean chill bite
crimson boiling
scarred visions
Lost friends

Until

One night an angel came to you
Spoke softly in a dream
her radiated voice
cradling your hope
for what lie beyond

A flash of remembrance
sizzles
cuts shadows off your night
full moon returns
captures the sky
You remember
how to cry
You fall
Exhilarated

Knowing the river waits your return. One body moving fresh.

Pure shine of power
Is yours again
she will float you down
the brilliant expanse of ocean
patiently waiting to embrace you.