Counting

He told me to count and then he matched me, pace by pace with His belt.
The smell of leather, the relief of exhale, the sweet jingle of metal on metal as He shifted His weight.
Every connection with my skin sending heat through to my center, every impact making me arc closer to Him.
I hit ten and kept going.
It felt like swimming. Breaking through waves to breathe then down again into blue, into dark.
It felt like love. The sweet glow of praise burning through my skin.
It felt like balance. This pain, this pleasure.

I think my end must be with You.
The focus of ache, the sweetness of relief
dictated by the movement of Your hands,
by the tone of Your voice,
by the heat of Your heart
more and I would incinerate
less would leave me frozen.