Steps
Up or down, it’s all the same.
How the knee or hip strains under the planet’s
surge. Opposite, and unequally felt.
One knows pain, the other does not.
Forever spinning, we remain still,
moving in place. Wanting.
As the heart pumps,
stronger for its labor,
accustomed to the effort.
O at the Edges 
“Stronger for its labor” – what winds me strengthens my heart? I like this sense of compensation … even if mostly psychological, metaphor. Age steadily inhibits getting up and down inclines of any form – as difficulty increases, likewise the urge to climb, prove I still can. Steps physical or procedural beckon “I dare you”. Love the image of shadow approaching steps.
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This aging process is more difficult than I expected! I used to ignore pain and it would eventually go away. Now, it becomes worse. 🙂
The image is from morguefile.com. It seemed perfect for the poem.
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I liked this a lot. “Forever spinning, we remain still,
moving in place. Wanting.” this part really spoke to me 🙂
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Thank you. This seems to reflect my life these days… 🙂
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I love this!
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Thank you. This seems to reflect my life these days… 🙂
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Such a sublime poem. You manage to capture the beauty in the trivial so perfectly. 🖤
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Thank you, Matthias. I live in the trivial.
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A very timely poem for me. One week ago I walked for a solid hour downhill into Carlsbad Caverns, then sat on a cold stone wall for far too long. The result was hip pain that took two days to heal. But it was worth it to glimpse the inside of a cave 850 feet below the entrance. What struck me most was how powerful the combination of water, gravity, and time can be.
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The perfect way to appreciate water, gravity and time!
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