yuba river

at the end of the summer

we swam like we could breathe water

the sunscreen oiled around me like a

halo circling my skin

i drank it, i spit it out

i climbed until i couldn’t feel my feet

on the hot rocks

crawling over the streams

passing water spiders and flecks of gold

we sat still

digging our hands into sand

bits and pieces

poking underneath our fingernails

we floated on top

with the salt lifting our bodies so high

the sun licking my skin

burning my eyelids

in a sweet way

at the end of the summer

i had 4 splinters in my feet and 6 cuts on my hands

my hair was split and dry

my skin freckled like a poppyseed bagel

fresh

i jumped off the big rock

falling until the water turned black and cold

i felt the fish on my flesh

it was freeing and it was hot and

i was not as sad

as before