forgotten
I forgot how it feels to stand
Between mountaintops
A thin tightrope
Not a single whimper
How it feels to hang on
At my fingertips
On a cliff’s edge
No doubt in mind
It all felt so easy
But now, my body betrays me
Slowly decaying at my feet
Can’t eat
Without my stomach revolting
Can’t sleep
Without my back screeching
Can’t stand
To wash dishes
Without feeling faint
Maybe this is the time
Maybe I’ll fall
No one to catch me
No parachute
Plummeting
Till I hit earth
A crater
Within the dirt
If I fall
It’s no surprise
Prepare
Prepare
Prepare
For the worst
Smile when it turns out fine
Collapse into my twin sized bed
From a load of laundry
Or vacuuming the floor
Or wiping off the table
Sweat shines my forehead
My lungs call for help
My arms talk to me
Say I pushed too hard
I know.
If I fall
It’s no surprise
If I fall
There’s no one to catch me.
If I fall
Well,
Let’s hope I won’t.
I’ve forgotten how it feels
To stand on my own
For over an hour
Head above water
Without slowly sinking.
2 thoughts on "forgotten"
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You caught the fear and apprehension so many of us feel as we age — the race to leave something worthwhile behind before we, as you say, fall.
Great poem.
the last stanza
…that’s hard to do,
glad you found the power