Game 12

​CHI 94               GSW 106

​Two Memories Involving Falling

One

When I was little--
About a thousand years ago--
My teacher showed a film.

It was about people--
More than one,
Mind you--
Whose mission it had been
To defeat Niagara Falls.

They thought they’d be safe
In pickle-barrels.

Literally barrelling down at
Literally breakneck speeds--

To their deaths
(usually by broken neck,
I assume).

Test pilots
Testing the
​Most
Basic
Principles.

Rodeo clowns
When the bulls are
Gravity and
Inevitability.

Now,
On the other hand,
Billionaires in space suits
Are jumping from the moon.
​

Two

a squirrel
found a coconut
in the compost pile.

a young coconut
wrapped tight
in white spongy
husk.

two times the size
of the squirrel
and ten times the size
of his head.

but that didn’t stop him.

he must’ve climbed that tree
a thousand times--

backwards

his tiny little face
strained and hopeful
and dug in--

only to drop his prize
time after time

and dash down
after it.

and each time,
he was
right
there.

a tiny stallion

racing gravity
down a tree

and almost winning
every time.

except,
i’m not really sure
almost winning
is a thing.