A

real fear of drowning floats
vertiginous in this fluid mix:
while shocked to believe in
life's brevity,
it hurts to curtail your desire
to know this world.

     Here's a mirror of water; 
you can't smash it.
Addition, subtraction
in the reflection;
you can't trust it.
But then you can't trust
a ruler to be straight,
the word to be true.