I could tell you it doesn’t hurt, but
that’s a lie. Still, I choose
to dive into what’s frozen,
entering the cold with no armor.
Naked and alone. I could tell you
I want you to join me,
and that is partially true.
After the shock, the shudder,
the clench, we can stretch
our limbs on a warm flat rock
and let the sun write its blushing graffiti
across our skin.
It is not our toughness
that will save us here, but
our curiosity.
Let us not come for answers,
and if we find some, let’s not
fill our pockets. Let’s toss them
like stones into the lake,
and let’s not dive in after them
no matter how strong we are,
no matter how deep
the water, no matter
how clear.