Thursday, February 19, 2009

The Precipice

I stand, within four shivering walls
and their wood plank door,
on top of a mountain,
trembling with fear and promise
at the roar of gushing wind
wrapping its arms around my sticks and plaster, screaming,
demanding everything.
The door rattles its latch, and each thunderclap cracks closer,
coming to claw at walls and proud defenses.
The storm rages nearer, and I stand alone, on top of a mountain,
trembling with fear and promise
under the cold fire of invisible stars.

Tonight, again, the world demands this of me:
that I stand with my whole self bare at the center of the storm
and feel it through to my bones-
that I surrender again and again
and even here, even on the mountaintop,
trembling before the precipice,
be willing to tumble end over end into this life.

1 comment:

David said...

Lovely and true - reminds me of a koan - the exposing the self to the winds of the universe - as if we had any other choice - yet something important about choosing what we can't avoid - Thanks - this give me courage