Am I falling?

Am I falling?

Do things happen

Of their own volition

Is anything preordained

How would I know

The world stretches out

In all directions

Narrow paths

Lead me on

A merry dance

I am always a misstep

From disaster

A tight rope lies

Between us

Just enough of a temptation

To stand on a ledge.

The ground,

No less disappointing

Than the open sky

Which is full of holes.

Slippery slopes

Are treacherous

The chance of redemption

Exists on both sides

Failure lies

In not trying

Fear is always there

Catching my throat

Breaking wind

My expectation

Is catastrophe

A fallback position

Where the background

Turns tricks

To come to the fore

And nothing ever changes.

Cats wail

Even though they have nine lives

And walk the plank

With practised ease

Life is full of

Mewling freekery

I am covered in scratches

From the experience

Given the option

I would rather

Skip over

The next page

Than read on.

Nothing in this story

Is worth

Dying for.