he planned this careful picking his way
across a stretch of rope months ago
his line spanning a singing roar of water
sheeting in shining tons and tones
over the escarpment
dimming gasps and cheers
of the witnesses, equally insignificant
on such a grand scale,
but their feet on pavement
not rope over air
his walk through rising mist
breathes the strength of a lake falling
reduces the movement
of the moment
into skeletal elements:
water, stone,
air
rope, one man
his performance a prayer
more moved than spoken,
but public and cried out
in one thin, teetering voice,
swallowed and carried up
by those clouds of mist
Susan Daniels Poetry 
love how you get topical with your posts susan
Thank you, Kyle!
The falls is in my back yard, kinda–or front yard, or side yard (I have no sense of direction, so let’s just say my neighborhood)
wow you live somewhere truly awesome!
lol, now, if I could only find them……
lol
…and my yard would have to be stretched by a mere 40 miles in one direction or the other 🙂
very nice susan. even though it’s a piece involving your surrounding landscape i can look at it metaphorically as to one gaining strength and courage. just a take.
Like that take, a lot, Don–thanks! This has been all over the news for months, and he finally did it 🙂
i don’t know anything about this news for months that you are even talking about. i’m just not following it as hard as i used to. glad you like my take:)
LOL, might not make the news in your viewing area, following or not–just the Buffalo/Nia Falls one, where we have heard it until we are all like–yeah, yeah, we know–another fool wants to pull a stunt over the falls 🙂
This one spoke to me, however 🙂
ahhh. another stunt person. us poets might like a little attention, but these types are seeking shock like attention. i’ll stick to the word….:))
Me too–verbal stunts are the only things I’,m up for…
there is the stunt…brave, beautiful and breath taking… and then, there is the metonym…and I am drawn more to the metonym on reading this. walking tight ropes – balance, skill, poise, co-ordination self confidence, faith..and yes, faith! Thanks, Susan! Beautiful poem!
Thank you, Noel–I am really drawn to metonym here, the use of it–means so much more than metaphor–that word is so growing on me…..
just trying to find a word that best approximates the magic in some of the associations in this poem!
Wow, thanking you–I think what this poem tries to capture is awe, because that is what I felt when I watched–his faith, my awe. When he was done, every other phrase out of his lips was him thanking Jesus.
Oh, yes–and anyone that is interested, can see a photo of this on my FB page—–>
I’d be nervous as all get out watching such a feat. I watched a clip of someone cross the WTC buildings, and I had to hold onto my chair, even thirty years later. 🙂
Know exactly what you mean, Nelle–I was cringing as I watched him, but his feet never slipped.