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The Act of Reaching

        So often do you find yourself
    balancing
on one pinnacle or another—
    your aspirations stacked,
        or the lopsided stepladder
    that turned up in the shed.

So there you are,
    on tiptoe,
        stretching,
a sapling longing for light,
    all joints extended,
        your fingers wishing
for one more inch,
    and one more inch,
        and one more inch—

and it always comes down
    to whether or not
        you are prepared
to fall.

Author notes

Prompt:
" if you reach
for the stars all you get are the stars...

but we've found a whole new spin,
if you reach for the heavens
you get stars thrown in "

---lyricist Anthony Drewe, Anything Can Happen

Inspired by plum-picking and stuff being difficult. Yeah.

As an aside, half the time when you reach the damn thing it's a lot less exciting than you thought it would be. Might as well just hunker down and get comfy. *gives a wise nod, the effects of which are somewhat ruined by the demented grin that follows*

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Comments

1 - 5 of 5

  • Ryno
    November 14

    Edit | Reply
    A very powerful concept. Loved your format, and the suspense. Liked the many layers and emotions you left for the reader's interpretation. Very strong ending, and I couldn't agree more with you.


  • Barry Hodges silver member
    September 5

    Edit | Reply
    I just read "I have quite a few pets: 2 dogs, a guinea pig, an army of fish, a blackbird that can't fly and a caterpillar who will eventually become an elephant hawkmoth."
    I have to say I have a cat whose balls are of a medium size. But who is a sweetie. And as you said in your poem above it's the extra inch which matters. Or so my wives have said.
    with a gasp.


  • petalblue2
    August 8
    Edit | Reply
    Very real point of view with an enticingly humorous aside
    Kelly


  • ten thousand cicadas gold member
    August 8

    Edit | Reply
    LOL, your notes cracked me up. Loved the aside.

    In the poem, I was waiting for everything up high to topple down, not the climber... but either way... the end of things is not quite what you anticipated!


    I love both the feel of extension and the emotional build of the repeated inch lines. This was light, and almost anecdotal. But also carries with it some serious undertones... yes, a bit of wisdom at the end. One has to decide whether it is best to reach and fall, or as you say, just stay comfy. I think different people find happiness and different ends of the spectrum.

    A really refreshing sort of read.

    Thank you for your entry.


  • kaibab silver member
    August 8

    Edit | Reply
    Her season changes glow,
    like horse to throw weary-rider show,
    stopping flow in life-time love complexion,
    creating fearles size in threatening skies,
    surmising prize to vernal incubation.

    Thanks so much for your lovely entry

1 - 5 of 5