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