upward...at last

the spiral
downward
into the space
where we hope never to go

we see others there
we pray
we hold out our hands
and pull them out

we help them stay away from the edge
we don't go too close
for we may fall into the abyss

but when no one's looking
we stray
we slip
we slide
we spiral downward
into the space
where we hoped never to go


why?
because we've lost our focus
we don't see the helping hand
we see the abyss
and it calls to us
to fall
to spiral
downward
into the space
where we hoped never to go

at last we get the strength
to reach for help
to search for a way
upward
up out of the space
where we hoped never to go


we take the hand that's offered
we clamor
we struggle
we climb
we somehow allow ourselves
to be helped

upward

up out of the space

where we hoped never to go