Walking the tightrope,
Was so easy,
The balances were tuned,
Muscles as tight as a crossbow,
The rope was broad,
And no wind blew.
I could defy gravity,
In the strength of youth,
I was invincible,
Shielded from harm,
By luck and self belief.
But now the body rebels,
I walk in the shadows,
Knowing despite an entrenched will,
Body clocks tick to their own tune.
The ropes are thinner now,
The wind sways in all directions.
Yes, there is bravado,
It keeps us alive.
That safety net,
Is tenuously tied,
Maybe there might not be a happy landing.
The shadows grow longer,
As the bright sun of yesterday, sets.
I’ve been here before,
But sooner or later the fall will come,
Into the darkness,
Into that great abyss,
Into the world of shadows.