I sit in morning air
As crisp as a saltine cracker,
My legs dangling
Over the abyss of my misery.

I realize that life is
The greatest thief of all:
Maturity robs youth,
Experience steals innocence,
And the stress of responsibility
Pilfers a carefree existence.

I reflect on debts that swipe
My paycheck,
Bosses who ransack the dignity
That honest work is meant to give,
And those whose wants –
Real and perceived –
Drive them to grab for themselves
What others truly need,
While those who need
Take from any source at all.

As I sit upon the cliff’s edge,
The wind swirls at my feet,
As if to entice me to
Explore depths from which
No one ever returns.

I have not chosen this fate,
But understand more why others do.

© 2006 by Robert E. Blackwell