climbing

today i climbed a tree.

i thought:

i'll go see

all to see

all laid out

in front of me.


up and up

branch by branch

climb and climb

rung by rung


i thought:

soon i'll be

at the tippy, tippy top!

but the branches -

they did not stop.


climb and climb

try and try -

the tree stretched

endlessly

into the sky.


disappointed

defeated -

i had to stop.

i knew i'd never reach

the tippy, tippy top.


but then a thought

came to me

a thought of peace:

let it be.


for if i reached

the tippy, tippy top

surely then

i'd have to stop.


if you can't go up

you must go down.

down? i thought,

with a frown.


so there i sat

and could not see

all to see

all laid out

in front of me.



so i may not reach

the tippy, tippy top -

but i'm happy knowing

i don't have to stop.