Life in the Balance
Being of a one-track mind,
It took me years to realize
That I travel life on two of them,
One track stretching back
Into fast-receding past,
And one racing forward
Into unknown future.
One foot perches
At the very end of a rail
That never appears out front,
While the other scrabbles
On a slippery surface,
Born new each moment.
If I look back too long
Some zigzag or sudden drop
Makes me lose my balance
Or could toss me away completely.
So I lean forward,
And peer back occasionally,
Seeking reminders of the lapses
That hurt me or others,
And of love and beautiful vistas,
Binoculars trained on what marks
The true st, most stable course.
I depend on that focus
As I shift and adjust my stance
In anticipation of change,
And find the mid point
Of the bracing wind on my face.
Charles Neff
11/7/11
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