Rest Assured
I was a girl of nine or ten
had been told by my mother again and again
to stay out of the tops of trees
One day she saw me high as the skies
Swaying on limbs as the old tree sighs
And provided a vital lesson to me
I saw as she a woman of forty and change
Taking not the time her skirt to arrange
Slowly began the climb.
Firmly ensconced on the limb just below
she broke off a switch that we both could know
I was capable of holding on.
She could not keep me away from my nest
Perhaps with this knowledge she could at least rest
And not fear for my limb or my life
Later on I encountered a snake ,my quickest decent though clothing was rent
my foot lightly touched the ground
I looked at the picket fence that stood at the
base of the tree and thought but for her training
I'd have made shish ka bob of me
My training for Olympic tree climbing
drew to a close on that day
The lesson of holding on still serves me to this day
If I could learn to pick battles some wiser seen lost a pyrrhic victory seen as it is
won at exceedingly high cost
Look who now is afraid of heights after
tight rope walking for years it took more than a switching and snakes to bring about this fear
I'm fighting for my life here
For a life to be found worth the living
Letting go the beginning of the process of forgiving
Forgive us all LORD we know not what we do
Please show us the way
help us carry it through
And help us know when to walk away
In our hour of despair we fervently pray.
Help us do your will
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