Temperance

by Kathryn Ganfield

In the river gorge, girls leap from the clifftop into a pool of indeterminate depth. To reach it, they donned matching two-piece swimsuits and passed signs that said, “Swimming Not Recommended.” I mind the signs. None of us are invincible. Even these rocks, forged in fire 1.1 billion years ago, wear down with time and water. So, I choose to climb up, on legs still strong, and not look back as they plummet into what they cannot know, and I will not judge.

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Kathryn Ganfield is a nature writer and essayist in the river town of St. Paul, Minnesota. Find her on Twitter.