Duck & Cover

I step out on the plank

Placing one foot, then the other

It wobbles a little under my feet

Unsteady ground.

The vast ocean on all sides,

it's horizon far in front of me.

It’s a long way down

My stomach crawls up to my heart for comfort

I need to do this

It’s a little crazy for sure.

Another step toward the edge.

And another.

A flock of ducks rises through clouds

They know where they are going

A lightness envelops me

Lifting my spirits

Just one more step

No need to leap

Fear rising in my throat

As my heart overrides my head

Maybe I know where I’m going too?

Leaning into the wind, I step

I float, suspended in the air

Nothing to push against for momentum No calling or need, no ground

Faint cries of life and land ahead

Drift by every so often

What a strange place to be

No cover and no risk of danger

My heart propels me forward

Generating just enough force to move me

This must be how I navigate this

My heart already knows where I’m going.