the dance of the redwood trees

Lift me now from the black water,
And all of the life that is left to me
Is a consequence of that life I have already lived.
Naked and rising, the water drips from my skin.
I will be bone dry before I reach the stars.
A young child, I can't tell if it is a boy or a girl,
Holds out a hand for me to touch as I pass by,
But it is too late, I am gone,
Looking down …