FREED VERSE

these whitewater waves 
interminably flow.
splash on my face,
blotted and cold. 

splotches of goosebumps 
against red-hot cheeks; 
my skin ebbs, a twitch,
much like those lips 
i'm so desperate to meet.

'i can only see the next bend' 
but our bends form a maze!
my lullaby labyrinth
i can't help but crave.

so what if the willows dare to weep?
their draping limbs cover the casket 
of a life-not-lived:
driftwood in a stream too stubborn 
for the choppiest winds to stir. 

now my arms finally have the strength to row.
so pass me the paddle, love,
there's only one way to know.