Walking Tightrope
Garrett Murphy, Oakland, California
2020 Dancing Poetry Grand Prize (1 of 3 of equal merit)
May be viewed in Session 1 of the 2020 Dancing Poetry Festival, https://youtu.be/-ks4u40yLm4
This walk is quite familiar to us
though not in the usual way.
We have to keep watch of each step;
walking on eggshells just waiting to crack.
Below could well be as shards of glass.
Below could well be as the points of nails.
The most visible ends could resemble spores
or the harsh ends of violent thistles.
All we know is that the rope must be tread
with extreme caution or else
we could be quite through.
It comes to our mind that
we've likely experienced this before,
only then we were safe in the arena,
awed yet fearful and hoping for the
success of the performer.
Now audience performers and participants
are as one;
we are all out on a tightrope;
with still a long way to go
before we've reached the other side.
