Happy Pain
So long, long it has been
My right foot hurt yesterday
the most exquisite and joyful experience!
The ball of my foot
springing to and from river rocks
barely visible above the crest of the stream
My cheerful toes
grasping eagerly when my balance might falter
laughing gleefully as the moss
refusing their caress
Sends us toppling
full of humility, wonder, and laughter
back to the river.