the thing about a stream of rushing water on a hot day 

is that the cold is very shocking

you’d think the sun’s warmth would make the water warm too

but the water makes you gasp deeply for air

as if someone pierced you in your chest

the thing about very cold, rushing, running water

is that you feel as though pushed into a new reality

it has an awakening kind of feeling about it

it makes your heart beat fast

and your skin feels icy

 but once you get used to it

it’s not so bad

underneath the surface of the watsr it feels pretty nice

underneath the continuous fall of water over rocks

it feels powerful

like your hands are shaking

your whole body’s shaking like you’ve seen a ghost

like you’ve jumped a cliff and survived

you feel as though someone was about to take your last breath

but you got it back

you are very alert

but at some point you can close your eyes and it feels rather nice

yes, it feels pretty nice

it’s a different kind of clean