Both afraid and unafraid,
full of fury and stunned by fear,
he stood insecure
and timid
with no comfort, spending his day
in worry, fretting and wondering,
‘what will people say?’
From his platform in the sky, he looked down
on the maybes and what ifs,
and he heard the voice ask: ‘why?’
He closed his eyes and softly spoke,
‘I’m afraid!’
The voice was soft and calm,
‘do as you wish,
not as others say,
this is your time,
your day is today.’
He moved closer to the edge.
His body was shaking,
his eyes crying,
his knees buckled as the voice kept saying,
‘to live you must die and die again
as you suffer pain of mind and body,
today is your time, now will never be again.’
As he stepped out from his comfort platform
into the abyss of reality he fell.
His body emptied itself, so sure it was
that he was bound for hell.
Down he went, just falling.
Falling away from and toward. But there was
more the voice had to say.
‘Again and again, for the rest of your life
you must step to the edge and jump
into your strife. Fear is your friend,
but let not worry be your master.
Jump, jump, and jump again.’
© Bill Reynolds 9/13/2018
Look both ways, all around, up and down.
Then jump.
Mind the gaps, but deal with them when you live into your question.
Our Literary Journey 
A beautiful poem, Bill.
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Thanks, Sue.
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Good thinker!
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Thanks, Katherine.
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Thanks for that excellent poem Bill. It took me a while, but I’m finally doing it. To be is to live life unshackled and freely unchain human potential. Might as well jump! There is nothing in the gaps we can’t fill with adventures.
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I agree, Jim.
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“jump into your strife” — I suppose we must. Now and again I think it’s healthy to push boundaries, but mostly, I built mine from pushes, so I’m pretty durn comfy.
That was lovely. Risks and all.
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Thanks, Joey. Hang in there and have a marvelous weekend.
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I’m doin it 🙂
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very well written! Awesome poem 🙂
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Thank you.
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Bill, this is one of you very best. It touches me deeply. Sending love…
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Thanks, Maryann. I hope all is well with you and yours.
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