The rock

You’re standing on a rock inside a river.
Or rather, the river’s straddling the rock
as you are, too: a foot on either side,
opposing forces keeping it in place –
you and the river too, pushing on each side,
suspending it between you. In this way
you can stop time. Notice how quiet
everything is, you and the river moving
underneath each other. Now the tricky part:
switch places, quickly. Become one another
and in becoming keep the rock in place.
It is the keystone holding you together.