.................................
when i stand on a precipice
.................................

when i stand on a precipice
whether it's a cliff or a rooftop or a mountain
i have to step back
not because i am
afraid            of falling
no
i am
afraid            of jumping off
when i stand on a precipice
whether it's a high-rise or a bluff or a ledge
my feet tingle
and i am
afraid i'll walk right off
something in me wants to fly
to spread and scream
without touching anything
i wonder what it's like
to swallow sky
to                leap
with no thought
only instinct
when i stand on a precipice
staring at
feet trembling with freedom
toes              hanging in space
i wonder
would my eyes
be closed or
                open?

.................................
jewel
.................................

 
Copyright © jewel
March 1996

...a poem in this room by Therese Leigh...
The Four Exuberants
Return to Agnieszka's Dowry Welcoming Room