Never Shall I Forget

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"