there is a moment of terror
not the first day when you’re stupid,
but later when you meet
the trail head, eye to sign
and know you’re asking permission.
some puckish god laughs
and steps aside
waving you along
a rock, kindly set
gives my foot one full moment
of a familiar plane
parallel to
what somewhere else would be level
which is, of course, irrelevant here
this sunday my soul will climb
to 10,000 feet
cajoling my body along
this way we struggled before
i have nothing to prove
within blood and bone
but need to remind my heart
of certain necessities