Into the Rapids

Hang on, Teacher shouted from behind me

But I had no breath to answer

Our raft sped toward the boulders

And huge sprays of water crashed into the air

The current carried tree limbs and every form of flotsam

Forward into chaos

Soon our raft would join the bits of flotsam

And I was gripped by terror

I had been with Teacher for some time and

I had learned much, though often in unexpected ways

But this was the first I had known of Teacher’s insanity

We rushed into the worst of the roiling waters

I held tight to the paddle that seemed useless against the riot

Our raft rose, tilted, swayed, flopped, settled and rose again

Skidded past a boulder

Shouldered into a wave

Water sprayed down on us

Roar of rapids, slap of raft on surface, my cries of terror and

Through it all I heard Teacher’s laughter

Then we were through

The river skidded to a placid flow

Schizophrenic river

Holding us now in the arms of its beauty

My breathing slowly calmed

I turned to glare at Teacher

Saw Teacher’s beaming smile

Heard the songs of small river birds

Felt the exhilaration I had failed to recognize through my fear

I laughed, quietly at first

Then fully, openly,

Joining with Teacher in our victory cheer

We began to paddle together

Eager to reach the next rocky place in the flow