6/28/2011

Flying Lessons

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

No, I can't, not all by myself, not without you .

Or so it seems down here on the ground
Surrounded by the others still earthbound.
There’s safety in numbers, or so they say.
But there's little to feed the longing for blue sky,
Wide open with adventure, could I find a way.

What if I had the courage to take that first step,
Jump off into space, head out on my own,
Risk trying my wings and flying alone?
What new heights might I reach, were I
Not afraid of the height of the wide open sky?

What if I were to chance it and go without you?
Would I discover I have the strength to do 
Anything I choose, if I just look inside  
Instead of turning to you for permission to fly?
Can I take the leap, even though terrified?

Yes, I can, because now it's time. It's what I must do.

Besides, you've taught me well.



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Written for One Shot Wednesday, which is a year old. Happy Birthday, One Stop Poetry!.

24 comments:

  1. Yes the breaking away from our teachers is a huge step...even when we know it is the best thing we can do for ourself...bkm

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  2. fly on patti...there comes a time we have to find our own way...we take what we learned and use it aswe craft our own destiny...

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  3. Hmm wish I had the courage to fly! Very hard to do it alone sometimes.

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  4. Y9our last line is perfect. Inspiring.

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  5. Love it. We are always afraid to take that first step, yet once we do, we become braver and bolder. Soar and bring us airborne ~

    Nice to meet you~

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  6. we all have wings-some of us just don't know how to use them

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  7. Some point everyone has to spread their wings, bird or human, nicely wrote.

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  8. Somehow, I think you've always had the necessary courage. I'm just sayin'.

    See my post for Wednesday - coincidentally, it's an Eagle.

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  9. Go on. JUMP! But make sure your parachute is buckled! That's not really what I meant--grin!

    First time I flew with my little 18-year-old daughter I kept praying thus: "Dear God what in the WORLD am I doing up here?"

    We did not have 'chutes.
    She landed the plane perfectly.
    We are still 'friends'!!!
    PEACE!

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  10. Patticake...
    Courage My Friend.
    I wish I had some....G

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  11. Beautifully written. With a daughter headed to grad school this fall, and finally moving out on her own, I wonder if she has similar thoughts to this.

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  12. Do it... Fly ... You never know where it will take you!

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  13. Oh, I like this! And the reason why? 'Cuz it sets me flying in all directions.

    There's a certain satisfaction one may obtain from scratching in the dirt.

    There's the sheer thrill of flying.

    There's this niggling question: Would Icarus have penned this to his Dad, Daedalus?

    But, then, there's the sheer thrill of flying...

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  14. I think the courage aspect is great, but what really fascinates me about this poem is the relationship between the speaker and spoken-to characters.

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  15. Thanks for your comments, Everyone.

    Lots of people have said lots of things about courage, but Charlie Chaplin's comment about it speaks most directly to me.

    "Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself."

    P.S. Randall, your comment intrigues me. I'm curious about whom you see as the speaker and whom the spoken-to. If you see this, would you e-mail me and let me know?

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  16. Very brave words. Happy flying.

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  17. Beautifully written and a perfect picture to go along with it. Speaking straight to me at this point in life. I may print a tiny copy to keep with me as a reminder of what can be, if thatʻs okay with you.

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  18. I asked myself this very question a few months ago, knowing that I was going to lose my best friend. He said that I would soar and fly high.

    I'm still waiting to find out.

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  19. aww - I spent days watching a pair of doves as they prepared to fly from the nest. One made it the other hopefully will manage we had to put him carefully back in the nest ( yes his parents still accepted him)
    for some the flight is harder than others

    Love to you my friend

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  20. I particularly like the line about feeding the longing for the blue sky. I imagine that must be a very strong motivator when learning to fly. I often equate jumping into the unknown in life as flying and the vastness of the metaphorical sky is very hard to resist. Very well written. I really like the sentiments you express here.

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  21. Funny, I wondered the same thing as Jonas- I could nearly hear Icarus holding that one-sided conversation with his father.

    Flight of fancy, feast for the senses, this one.

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Thoughts? I would love to hear from you.