Don't Drink Bees

There is a scent like no other
In the mountain air
It’s a combination of galax
And rhododendron and damp, red earth
Floating on thin, cool vapor

I take off my shoes
Tie the laces together
And drape them across my shoulder

I feel the packed soil
Beneath my feet
At the edge of the mountain stream
I stand on the bank, sensing my next move
Plotting my leap
To the stone
Jutting out of the flowing water
Like an iceberg

I run and jump
Grip the rock with my toes and heels
Curved like talons
Perched in the middle of rushing water
Then I plot and leap again
Forward against the current
The spray of rapids
Wetting my feet

I leap again
There is a thrill in choosing wisely
Stable rocks
And there is a thrill in conquering
Those which wobble
And threaten to toss me in
It is a warm day
I wouldn’t mind being soaked
But I want it on my terms
And I fight the stone
Arms and body out-stretched
To balance myself

Sometimes my stepping stones
Come to an end
And I can choose returning to shore
But I wade in
Enjoying the biting cold
Nibbling at my ankles, then my calves

In the water
I am one of the stream’s creatures
Fish swim about me
Turtles sun on logs near me
Crayfish scurry away from me
Hiding themselves beneath stones
Waterstriders glide on the surface

The bottom of the stream is slick
With algae
And it is a struggle to remain
Upright
My sneakers swing
And thump
At my back and chest

I see another stepping stone
And I emerge
Dry my feet in the warm sun
Leave wet prints
Behind
As I leap again

I see a worn path to my right
It winds through the woods
It touches the stream bank
In places
Then moves away again
The earthen path is not for me
My route is simple, direct
And my own
There are no mile markers
There is just myself and the stones
I smile
I can hear the churning now
I am almost there

Mountain streams are delicious
I lay my body down
Across a welcoming boulder
Less of a challenge
More of a resting place
I want to pause
And treasure this moment
I do not want the reward
Of my efforts
To come too quickly
I cup my hands in the water
And I drink
The water is cool and pure
And replenishing

I luxuriate in the sensation
Of the liquid
Sliding between my fingers
Down my chin
I cup the water
And watch it drain slowly
Away from me
Returning to the rushing below
My hands, a sieve
I gather it again
And take a last drink

Then I am on my feet again
Sailing through the air
To my next stepping stone
The roaring fills my ears

My heart beats faster
In anticipation
I know that she is still a long way off
But I can hear her now
I can feel her
I could follow her in the darkness
I am trembling
I know she cannot elude me
I leap

The rocks beneath my feet
Are smooth
From the rushing water
Wearing away
Their rough edges
They were here
Before my birth
And they will remain
Long after
I leave

A bird sings out
Swelling background music
To match the feeling
Of my victory
The pinnacle of my journey
I leap

And there she is before me
Shimmering
Rays of light sift through
The showering droplets
Cascading
Tumbling
Spilling
Over the top
In powerful, roaring sheets
Tiny rainbows
Stretching from rock to rock
Below
Beneath the falls

I feel the spray
I absorb the energy
I have arrived
My heart
Leaps