Cinders & Prayers

The lake
feels like the edge of the world, the ice
on the water nothing more than stepping stones
to the great stepping-off into
 
the air
feels like the edge of nowhere—
a cold breath and a sharp bite ringing through trees,
flinging up snow to dust

the horizon
is whiteness—an unbearable burden of light
burning eyes to cinders and prayers, moving the world
to shadows, taking up life and moving on

we live 
against this edge, feel the breath of the abyss every day—
a hard run a fast heartbeat a shortness of breath 
that never fades until 

we fade away

---