Don't Look Down

              for Chip Decker

It’s not a normal situation, so

   It’s normal to feel trapped or victimized.

When there’s just one direction you can go,

   Don’t look down. Don’t. You’ll just get paralyzed.

Don’t scream at God because you didn’t get

   A fair shake or a break that wasn’t tough.

Don’t waste your final moments on regret.

   Don’t look down. Breathe. You’ll get there soon enough.

And when you feel the hands of panic stroke you,

   And when your terror’s all that you can smell—

When tidal waves of smoke roll up to choke you,

   And hot flames lick you raw like hounds from hell—

      Don’t look down to the grave where it all dies.

      Look up—and watch that perfect blue sky rise. 

 

Copyright 2016 Matthew J Wells