There is a level of faith at core,
Nothing we do without assurance,
Without trust as feet hit the floor,
Won’t venture out front entrance.

Yes, trust is real, not a fake,
But not fully a hundred percent —
We measure risk we must take,
And danger we hope is absent.

We trust we can step out our door,
Without having undue alarm,
Yet know from recent historic lore,
Attacks could deal us harm.

We just know chances are good
That bad happenings are rare,
Unless it’s Iraq or down in the ‘hood,
We’re just fine breathing fresh air.

It takes trust to enter a car,
For they’ve been known to explode,
Everyone to kill or burn and char,
We flinch to recall episode.

But we have trust that all is fine,
So we get in and drive on our way,
Knowing full well that time after time,
Cars wreck and take lives away.

We drive faster than we can brake,
If a bridge were out without warning,
But river we’ve crossed, for pity’s sake,
In traffic each evening and morning.

So we trust that bridge is still there,
And it’s fully paved on the highway.
Somewhere always needs repair,
But we arrive at our job for the day.

Expend effort with trust in employers
They’ll pay our wage for time in toil.
Yet Enron assails — their lawyers —
At recompense all attempts did foil.

Ending our chore, head to the store,
To pick up food we trust is edible,
Mad Cow headlines galore —
Global viruses more spreadable —

Doubt in our mind edges a fright,
We don’t know the source of our food.
Wonder if it’s been refrigerated right,
Or handled in ways that are rude.

Still our trust wins out, suppressing doubt,
For how else will our family be fed,
So we trust the chicken and sour kraut,
And drive the fears from our head.

We have trust in our spouse, no doubt,
That all day was spent true blue,
But divorce statistics have their clout,
It gives us something to chew.

Ah, but it’s wonderful just being alive,
To be on earth is the greatest worth.
Trust we derive, and all must survive,
Testing limits of trust from birth.

 2007 R. Leland Waldrip