The Next Depth
Once, he was called
a coward, because he stood at the edge
of the precipice and saw
the hard bottom
of the bottomless pit
had to be convinced, coaxed
into high-diving.
And as he fell
through the promises
of immortality- -of the seeming endless
freefall, he saw through
the soft-spoken lies
of cunning
linguists
He saw the once courageous, lacking,
clinging to any available ledge
So, when he alone hit
unyielding reality—conscious cleared, branded
by brand new bravery—he brushed
off
superficial bruises and stared
without fear, into
the fathomless future.
