“Take the oars
and row into the still lake.
It does not matter that the moon is low,
or that the owls are hooting
their eerie hunting songs.
It makes no difference that you are all alone,
for the pine trees stretch protection
around the calm water
and the wind has rested behind
the boulders on the sand.
Take the oars
and row into the still lake
and when you reach the point
where the land is veiled in the mist of yesterday,
dive down into the deep, clear water,
to where the pebbles wait to feel your feet
and settle there until your lungs beg for mercy,
then rise and know the meaning of being fully alive.
