Never shall I forget the sky,
the endless miles of blue straining to break free and devour me in one gulp.
Never shall I forget the clouds
that refused to soothe the blazing glare of the summer sun.
Never shall I forget the elephant:
a giant, lumbering creature,
brimming with more grace and strength
than the graying animal had first projected.
Never shall I forget the nine feet of coarse muscle
that was my ride up the side of a cliff.
Never shall I forget the heartbeat,
the silent cry of an acrophobic wailing in terror.
Never shall I forget the first jolt when I thought:
yes, this is how it ends.
Never shall I forget the cliffs,
a hundred foot plummet that could result in my remains not being
distinguishable from the grape jam I had that morning.
Never shall I forget the relief
of having solid ground under my feet
and a horizon that did not bounce with every step.
Never.
Inspired by Elie Wiesel's "Night"
Comments