Destined by Gravity to Fail, We Try
Having fallen from the roof not once, but twice,
I verify that it is not the fall but the sudden stop that hurts.
The objectivist sense of the little: the and a, my house in this world.
Galileo postulated that gravity accelerates all falling bodies at the same rate.
While their etymologies differ, failure and fall share commonalities,
though terminal velocity is not one.
The distance between the glimpsed and the demonstrated.
Enthralled in the moment, Icarus drowned.
Rumor has it his plunge was due not to melting wax but to an improper mix
of rectrices and remiges: parental failure.
Thrust and lift. Drag. Resistance.
Acknowledgment of form in reality, in things.
When the produced drag force equals the plummeting object’s weight, the
object will cease to accelerate and will move at a constant speed.
To calculate impact force accurately, include the stopping distance in height.
Followed by long periods of silence.
O at the Edges 
Pingback: Destined by Gravity to Fail, We Try | rimaalalamy
At first I experienced a slight sinking feeling but then I was uplifted. *Wink*
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d love to feel that uplift before hitting the ground!
LikeLiked by 2 people
“The distance between the glimpsed and the demonstrated…” Nothing but great lines from you, day after day!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You should see the warehouse of bad lines!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll bet they are a lot more poignant and beautiful than you give them credit for…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Alas, no. And then there’s the storage shed of the insipid. Acckkkkk!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The warehouse, singular? I have TWO! 😬
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, it’s a big warehouse.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😜
LikeLiked by 1 person
And thanks, as always.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re telling my story over the last three years. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ouch!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Intriguing…good lines
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Christopher.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re quite welcome.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do like your mix of humor and seriousness and that sense of ‘opening out’ to new perspectives. I hope you actually intend the humor and that it’s not just me with a weird sensibility! Love this poem.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s just you, Susi. You’re weird. 🙂 No, I often try to blend humor into these pieces. Otherwise they might come off as overbearing and pedantic. And thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi, I thought you’d like to know that I’ve nominated you for a SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD. Details here: https://modernphilosophystandards.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/ive-got-sunshine-on-a-cloudy-day/
Entirely up to you whether you’d like to accept it or not, but I think you deserve it!
Nam,
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks very much for the nomination, but I’ve elected to not participate in blog awards. But I truly appreciate the sentiment. Thanks for thinking of me.
LikeLike
I am reminded of the now iconic, almost angelic poses of people falling from the towers. “..not the fall, but the sudden stop that hurts.”
And, yes, “Followed by long periods of silence.”
Thank you for this.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Long periods, indeed.
LikeLike
That ending is worth its weight in gold
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, C!
LikeLike
Yes, we should try at-least. This is extra-ordinary writing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Rashid. Much appreciated.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! What a ingenious way to turn a common physical event into a metaphysical exposition! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Peter.
LikeLike
“While their etymologies differ, failure and fall share commonalities,
though terminal velocity is not one.”
Beautiful line! I read it in a deadpan rhythm and the flow was pitch perfect.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks very much. I’m pleased that it flows for you.
LikeLike
You write and offer observances in sheer, wonderful brilliance. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel as if I’m blundering from place to place, but sometimes the words fall in place. 🙂
LikeLike
I really like this poem, and also its title.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, David. Gravity is one of those intriguing unavoidables.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ve heightened my vertigo. I need to readjust my footing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s tricky. Be careful!
LikeLike