Learning from the High Wire Walkers

First, they start close to the floor,
practice walking heel to toe, practice
bouncing and turning and gazing
at a distant object instead of looking
down at their feet. As the stakes
and the rope get higher, they
begin to practice failure. Practice
hanging from the wire for long
periods of time. Practice holding
their own weight. This. Perhaps
this is what we are doing now
with democracy. Practicing
how to hold up our weight.
Don’t look down. Don’t look down.
View it all as practice. Trust that balance
depends on tension. Trust that
every step matters.

by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer