Thirst

My skis balance on the edge
of the cake-frosting snow
and I look down -
five feet down
to the rushing water
babbling below me
under the crysteline ice
blinding in the sunlight,

It makes me thirst
I want to scootch down and
scoop up a cup of this
clear, cold refreshment
to revive my body
to revive my soul

But it's too far to reach
without loosing my
balance
without plumetting into the mezzmerizing
shiny
abyss

I imagine
placing my lips
just on the surface
just enough to feel the
shock of the water
numbing my lips
my lips that struggle
to speak
to love
to taste

and then my face
the cold would alarm my
parasymathetic systems
flash the emergency signal
bash my heart hard against
its cage
lungs spasming to fill up
and let out
frantically
the skin tingling
in goose bumps
to my toes

my mouth waters
craving the taste of
melted mountain and
mineralized rocks
and pieces of sticks

all of it rushing
down the notch
looking for the river
to take it home
to the
salty
sea