To Stand in a Puddle of Water

To stand in a puddle of water

Or not

Common sense and your parents would say not—it’s too cold, it’s too muddy,

unseen tap worms will drill into your sole,

and maybe your soul.

And yet there is some hesitation, a yearning,

to stand in and step into another realm,

even if only for a moment.

To be with yourself,

to bear witness to and learn from the spotted tree frog,

the lace winged dragonfly,

the helmeted honey eater.

To feel the sun and the breeze on the back of your neck.

A call to past lives and an ancient time and way that still beckons, and is strangely felt.

So, submit to that yearning and stand for a moment in a puddle of water.

Feel the cold, the sharp pebbles beneath your feet,

the sun and the wind on the back of your neck,

and heed the call.