I touch your skin the way

 Mother brushes hair from the eyes of her child

 Your breath sweeps

Through my hair like fingers

And I listen to your story.

The sadness you feel, a weight of stones in my hands

The hopes you provide

The safety in your shallows

I understand your love for life

For fish that flourish in your belly

For bugs that dance around you

And for the animals that come

To drink your living waters

 

Can you feel my heartbeat

Or the goose bumps that race

Up my soft skin

I step into your cold arms

Pain washed away,

My bloody wounds healed by your clear current

Can you hear my laughter

As I trip and fall

Into your embrace

Can you hear my story

As I converse with you

A friend