I cranked the bicycle pedals up to the top
of the ridge and lost balance. My feet
stuck in the toe clips, I folded over
off the side of the ridge.
As I fell in that long pause our brains
give us, maybe to extend what might be
our last moment of life, I was certain
I would injure myself. I saw the tree
that I would use to pull myself back
up on my feet if I could. I saw the rock
at the tree’s base where I would grind
my shoulder or my ear as I fell.
But when I hit the side of the hill
and slid down a little, I stood up
sore but unharmed.
It made me think that if its true
that there’s a universe for every
possibility, then maybe we feel
the branching happen. When I hit
the ground I felt myself split
like wood and stood up on the right
side of two selves, one with a leg
bent in the frame of the bike,
and one right here, sore, stunned
and grateful for his luck. If so,
call this a eulogy for the thousands
of dead selves I’ve left splintered
all over this one thin strip of existence.
They all gave their lives for each other.
Some of them believed in each other,
and even though I’m one of the ones
who doesn’t, when I climbed that hill,
I turned around and walked back
to the trail head with thousands more
imaginary, indebted lives following.
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1 comment:
As I walk down the little trail that is my time in this place, I try to take account of where I am and how I can use my situational awareness to better my lot in life.
Occassionally I stumble across a small pebble of wisdom which informs me of other paths and other lives and a universe of common experience.
That little peek into another point of view is a large part of the pleasure of being alive in the company of all the rest of us.
Thanks for that delighful peek.
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