I
a carapace of ice welded to the rock
the perfect exoskeleton
a rock stranded in the snow driven alpine river
the point of constancy in this tumult
the ice turtle holds limpetlike
against the flow
until sun strike melts the ice
restoring stepping stones by which to cross
II
my daughter and I
stranded on the bank
of this snow driven river
waiting to cross
ice carapaces welded to the stones
make crossing impossible
challenging points of constancy
in this portentous flow
ice turtles hold limpetlike
interrupting the surface
as sunstrike melts the ice
restoring steps by which we cross
III
if you wait long enough
that ice turtle stranded on the stone
in the fast flowing alpine river
becomes a salmon urging upstream to spawn
when the sun hits