We were never cliff divers.The rocks were too sharp and the current too uncertain to chance it. Others jumped.
Some even were unharmed.
The light cuts through the water here. Too many trees, too many mountains block sunlight, so all that is bright pools against the cutlines of the rivers.
Hard to look too long into the water. We called it wave blindness, although there were other names for the same thing.
We knew the water was there, could hear it, feel it even against our feet and hands.
But our eyes were blinded, filled full of an endless ring of light.
On those days, it was best to stay off the water, direction, depth, and danger covered by the reflection. On those days were when the divers jumped.
We were never cliff divers.
There’s a moment where you stand on that edge over the water.
Where, when you look down, all the dangers have vanished.
Only the light remains.
When you dive, you dive not into water, but-
Into possibility
Into an endless stream of reflected light
Sometimes light hides as much as it reveals
Light is an interesting obscuring mechanism and an irresistable drawing force.
I’m fond of playing with light and illusion. If you’d like to see some of my other efforts with it, my fantasy novel,The Guests of Honor, is available here.