Sunday, February 27, 2011

New Poem/New Day: No such thing as easy...

I walk a tightrope the width of dental floss
  arms not stiff, but perpendicular
  with learned adaptability that can absorb the body's miniature quakes
From the balance beam I learned
  one must not focus on the size of the space under one's feet
  instead the breath must guide the whole of the body to calm
  to precision, to a pretend space where there is nowhere to fall
Because there is no possibility for a human to be unbiased
  it seems to me that it is absurd to assuredly step forward on the beam
  the chance of tipping too far one way or another is simply part of gravity
  balance is a learned skill and often it is just as likely your feet will hit the ground--
  no matter how careful, no matter how practiced.
In younger days, my leaps and flips were done with a confidence not born of experience
  and down, down I'd go--cursing the narrowness, blaming others for stealing my targeted steps...
  now I know I robbed myself of a cool landing by thinning my skin with opinions so self-righteous
  that they flew into others like arrows, often indiscriminate.
There is no such thing as an easy walk across an abyss
  even if unbiased is non-human, bias must be checked with the regularity
  of every other routine--if left to wander--it makes weight of hands and
  tips you too far in one direction...doubt and self-critique are the ways your toes stay steady
This is not to assert that one should be without conviction...because frankly you cannot
  beat back the fear without it pushing you forward--but, it demands that our dogmas remain
  open to the winds and internal questions that force us to recenter ourselves...
  creeds subject to adjustment are better able to withstand the natural tremors
  that threaten the march of progress and the desire to land when finished
  feet planted solid, shoulders back and proud--
Victory is defined not by landing only...rather it is the entirety of the passage
  that defines your performance and is the incentive to take the run back onto the beam.

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