only the first time
before we learn carefulness
do we give wildly of ourselves
& without reservation
after that lesson
love becomes more
of a trust exercise:
if you catch me
once
when I fall backwards,
then I will show you a map
through land mines
& razor wire
surrounding my heart,
either protecting
or restraining it
defenses
we must willfully teach each other
to forget
***Rhonda, this was inspired by your comment! Forgive the roughness as I sand & plane it down through the day.
Susan Daniels Poetry 
don’t sand and plane too much….I love it. it’s also akin to our fearlessness as children yes? we have no fear until someone teaches us that word. Ready, set, go……………:)
Exactly–we don’t know the stove is hot until we touch it, no matter how many times we are told.
true…thinking more in terms of the fears we develop that stop us from trying new things…the fear of getting hurt (not necessarity physically) stops us from even trying. I’ll be quiet now! lol
Never–enjoy your comments!
definitely like this. i know all about the defenses we set up it certainly has a little bite to it.
Thanks Don–just a little bite. You should read me when I chomp.
such capacity for instant creativity – this ability to reach so easily within and come up with songs so beautiful and arresting! the world would be poorer had protector razor wires and restrainers allowed this voice to sing this song with metered reservations!
Please do not plane this song – you risk making it plain, pale and flat should you do!
OK, for you I won’t edit a thing….How can I after such marvelous persuasion?
in life, in living it and singing it, splashes of the wild and rough sneak past our custom checks and controls to invade and spice the logical and the finely tuned carefulness of our every day existence…..and in most times with colorful effects….your song here is but one good example!
Thank you so much…Think the abv is true because the wildness and roughness are more honest than something sleekly fine-tuned. True of a lot of things.
Oh, and look–the runner beans are in the article! Learned about that the backwards way 🙂
The walls we build, and the exhilaration of connection when they come down. Love it.
Thank you, Nelle!
I really like the metaphors you are using here. The motion of both “falling back” and revealing a map of embattled terrain is very effective.
Thank you so much Jeremy. The more I look at this, the more I like this rough cut, and I won’t edit it one bit.