1.

Come up for air (you said)

the world’s brighter here.

Dive to the depths (I said)

the world’s a mystery there.

And so we lived, diving off

cliffs in exhilaration

Climbing back up to feel

the sun kiss our shoulders,

caress our cheeks.

2.

Forty-two beats each

And every minute

Sixty-six million

a few thousand more

passed us by,

but now, but now

my head, your chest

low chuckles

and I count

them.

3.

In haunting, unwalked paths

lies the burden of choice.

If’s and rather’s

accompany the night.

Taunt is their pleasure

stagnation their aim,

menaces, determined

but unskilled

To live is to choose

And I tie balloons

To burdens.

4.

At the sight of the distant mountains

I want to run away.

Too high, too new, too big,

I thought I

Won’t face today.

Then a gush of wind blew

A soft and soothing song it sang

With a shift, sway and tiny swirl

The dance of reeds began.

Mountains faded into a blur,

Future conquests, distant toils

Today I’ll learn from smaller things

Lessons the dance uncoils.

I’ll reach the mountain’s aging roots

Pockets filled with many a thing

Of lessons heard and lessons learned

In the tiny detailing.