The Furnace Within

I.
The cold water slides down my body,
chilling me from the outside,
teaching me I’m a furnace within.

I let go to it.
No will but to let it contour me
into a different state of being.

II.
Grounded.
Precise and clear.
Within my element.

III.
I hate the medicine,
but I love its effect in me—
a cooler, calmer woman
holding presence
in the midst of the changing season.