PREMONITION
Carl Walenda used to say
He only felt alive
when walking the high wire
everything else was just waiting
Some rodeo cowboys feel the same way
for eight seconds on a good day
One day in South America
Carl Walenda checked his tie downs
something he never did
He went up on the wire anyway
and he fell
After all those years of butterflies
it’s hard to tell
which is the black one
ROPE BURNS
I want to be able to bring home to you
Not only what I caught today
but the rope burns from
the ones that got away
Not only the buckles for the ones
that I stayed on for the eight
but the taste of the dirt
and other stuff I ate
Not only the meat from that old bear
but all the claw marks he left there
That you’re the one I want to kiss them well
also shows the love that I can’t tell