Fountain of Youth 

I dip into the water at night,

Like a water snake,

After the eyes of day have closed,

And no one’s here to see.

The cool ripples of the gentle windblown waves,

Here, in this deep,freshwater lake

Revive me.

My ironclad scales pull tight with glee.

My youth returned

To slither and swim.

My narrow forked tongue a-quiver,

Flickers under the pale moon rising.

I am refreshed by the moonlit waters.

Now I float freely, on my back.

My hands outstretched,

I lose myself in the chasm between 

The stars so far,

So high up in the velvet sky,

And those so near,

Here in the satin waters.