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spontaneous pontification
by Jared Fladelandspontaneity.
that word frightens me
the way a stuntman looks across the grand canyon
and imagines the big what-if.
have you ever looked into the ocean
and thought it would swallow you whole
if you jumped in past the tide line?
I've never had the courage to totally lose myself.
I always had to tether myself to a safety-post.
My safety post is a red wood, because a red wood needs community,
it doesn't plant its roots too deeply,
it spreads horizontally,
because that way it can reach out for a friend,
and when it does, it holds on, it tangles on for dear life,
and not just one friend, no,
it needs five, ten, twenty, hundred,
a hundred friends before it feels safe.
and when the cold North wind blows
with all Her might,
they stand strong together,
because that's what they do, they live in community.
We all die, or none of us do.
That's the type of magic I prescribe to.
I can't stand the thought of standing up
all by myself. 12/28/2013 Posted on 12/28/2013
Copyright © 2026 Jared Fladeland
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Philip F De Pinto on 12/29/13 at 12:54 PM and yet, having writ this ode is clearly evident that you indeed have the courage to venture beyond the tethers and lose yourself, not merely in part, but the entirety of one for all and all for one and at once and always spontaneous. |
| Posted by Kristina Woodhill on 12/29/13 at 06:31 PM I enjoyed your approach to Philip's challenging word and how you developed this theme. It's hard to think of anything more sturdy than a stand of redwoods. |
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