This poem has had a lot of tense changes. I’d love to hear what words, phrases, or images are working or not working.
look down on me
except the junco, he understands
I have never stood on a mountain
I just haven’t gotten around to it
and my people,
we keep close to the earth
But one time, when I was eleven
and still unformed
mercifully invisible
I stood on the high dive
Preparing for the slap
Of water against my back
To avoid hurting myself
I had to bring my mind
back into my body.
Most of the time
, I needed to do
the opposite.
The sun blazed right next to me
The sky and water nearly matched
A line of kids waited on the ladder
I turn to face backward
adjusted my suit straps
clawed the wet fiberglass
I needed to push my head away
while levering my flat feet
into ballet point
I raised my hands over my head
braided fingers in prayer position.
though I had nothing to pray for
God already calculated
Gravity and made me
dense like a black hole.
a northern flicker laughed
and played me a drum roll.
I bent, and bounced, and let go.
I entered the water straight
more near to perfect
than allowed by physics .
You might be hoping,
like I was,
for me to surface
to sunshine and clapping,
But my friends are tanning on towels
eyes closed, walkmans blaring
and the sparrows and swallows
have seen better.