It comes

It’s a pulling, a tugging, a teasing

An invitation, a promise, a plea

There is only a river between us

pebbled riverbed, boulders that hide dips

craters we can fall into

white water rapids that will whisk us away

Come to my side, we ask each other

or let me come to you if it is safe

But the river is between us

so we build a bridge of planks

Yet the water is pulling at our ankles—

it rises above the boards and tugs

it splashes against our knees

Come to my side, the river says

let me take you with me

I can carry you far from here

Close your eyes and fall into my arms

surrender all of your worries

to my rhythmic embrace

Pull, tug, tease

lap, pulse, splash

I look to the water

and I look to you—

the choice is easy

I choose me

I choose us

Our bridge may collapse

and be rebuilt

We will use wood

stone

We will make a dam if we must

But no-

perhaps that was our first problem

We thought the river was between us

We thought it an enemy to overcome

But the river was here before us—

it is a guardian in its own right

I close my eyes and listen to the water

it caresses my ankles

it crashes against my knee

It saw me as something to overcome

but not to conquer

Come with me, the river says

I am on no one’s side

I am belonging to no one

because I am water and I am free

If you will be my companion

you will learn the art of water

You will be on no side

because you belong to yourself first

Humans make sides

and then they foster war

But what it is it you must conquer?

What is it really you would defeat?

Because if you make an enemy

the first thing you fight

is yourself

The first thing you trade

is your real strength

I open my eyes

We share a shore

Did the water carry me to you?

Or was the river an imaginary beast

that kept me far from you?

Behind me I still hear water

-it sings-

There is a rush over pebbles

a roar of rapids

the waterfalls

the gentle lap against the shore

The river is of me

I am of the river

yet neither of us belongs to the other

We belong first to ourselves

Together, we are free