How To Climb
Step 1: begin.
You have no choice, begin.
And soon you find
(step two or three?)
you know about faces.
Next, that ‘me’ and ‘you’ are not the same
and this is startling.
But stranger still that all those ‘you’
are not the same.
Climb on, climb farther.
To stand – to learn to walk – is joy, exhilaration,
it’s “look at Me!”
But falling is disaster;
worse, Betrayal.
Climb on. And one of the steepest steps,
after you’ve crayoned the wall
– again! –
or bitten another child
is guilt, remorse,
and the pretty bird gone.
© John Stevens 2014
Photo with permission from Tom Stevens
Copyright @tstevensphotos
For this and other photos by Tom Stevens see:
http://weedsandwilderness.com
I love this photograph. It’s really a poem in itself and it was the photo that came first.
Aah, that photo is sublime, I can see why it inspired you, John. In this world where speed seems to be the only virtue, it’s good to read much needed primers like yours. Thank you!
LikeLike
By: elainestirling on 27 August, 2014
at 17:22
So glad the photo made the same impression on you as it did on me, Elaine. Thank you.
LikeLike
By: John Stevens on 28 August, 2014
at 09:21
So precise and pointed, particularly pleasing!
LikeLike
By: Bart Wolffe on 27 August, 2014
at 17:27
Many thanks Bart.
LikeLike
By: John Stevens on 28 August, 2014
at 09:21
Wonderful that a photograph can inspire the story of how we grow up and become aware of others, of betrayal and of loss. And told without fanfare, without too many words, just enough detail to evoke without telling.Thank you.
LikeLike
By: Kalila on 28 August, 2014
at 10:24
I’m reminded of your own poem, Kalila (the recent one about the hopes felt for a new-born baby) which I very much liked.
LikeLike
By: John Stevens on 28 August, 2014
at 13:11
“Crayoned the wall–again!–” just about says it all.(though the cannibalism wasn’t too nice, either). And the guilt, the remorse…natural, or imposed? Only the pretty bird knows for sure, and, alas, it’s gone. Now I’m humming that old song: “There’s a long, long trail a-winding…..”
Truly lovely, John
LikeLike
By: Cynthia Jobin on 28 August, 2014
at 12:36
Well, I guess I must have been a worse-behaved child than you, Cynthia! 🙂 Maybe I’ll be more civilised once I’ve grown up.
Meanwhile, thank you for your kind comment.
LikeLike
By: John Stevens on 28 August, 2014
at 13:16
That climb we all have to do, the discovery of the others, and thereby the discovery of yourself as an individual, also so true how difficult the climb can be. The fall is betrayel, so it must seem. ( I was surprised by “bitten another child…” how many in total??) Love the photo, it goes very well with the poem, which makes sense as it inspired you to write it 🙂
LikeLike
By: Ina on 28 August, 2014
at 12:41
I’m pleased that you too loved the photo Ina. It was certainly an inspiration!
LikeLike
By: John Stevens on 28 August, 2014
at 13:17
This is true of life, yes. I enjoy how this poem seems like a stairway, the way it’s written. I feel the faltering in it, the falling down after reaching a great height, or realization. What’s the old saying…one step forward, two steps back? I often feel this way in my life — always falling, getting up again. I enjoyed this poem.
LikeLike
By: Anna Mark on 29 August, 2014
at 11:35
Thanks Anna. Yes, I think we never stop climbing those stairs!
LikeLiked by 1 person
By: John Stevens on 29 August, 2014
at 17:12
A wonderful photograph John, and your words complement it perfectly.
I wandered off to reminisce after reading it 🙂
And the stairs are still there – we need to keep climbing
David
LikeLike
By: belfastdavid on 1 September, 2014
at 12:12
Hello David. Bit of a slog at times, isn’t it ?! 🙂
LikeLike
By: John Stevens on 1 September, 2014
at 21:11
John, wonderful, poetic description of childhood, growing up – and also the perfect metaphor for humanity in general, as we continue to (hopefully) grow and evolve. (And I love the photo!)
LikeLike
By: Betty Hayes Albright on 9 September, 2014
at 20:55
Thank you Betty. I think the photo has made the same impression on you as it did on me. Inspiring, isn’t it?
LikeLike
By: John Stevens on 9 September, 2014
at 21:39
“To stand – to learn to walk – is joy, exhilaration,
it’s “look at Me!”
But falling is disaster;
worse, Betrayal.”
soar and crash…
LikeLike
By: Evelyn on 22 October, 2014
at 16:55
Yes, that’s Life isn’t it Evelyn? Although I believe “to crash and soar again” is equally true of Life. Thank you for visiting again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
By: John Stevens on 22 October, 2014
at 18:56
John… I am addding this link for you to check out a text which reminds me of yours and I believe has a similar approach as well. Regards, Aquileana 🙂
Instructions for climbing a staircase–Julio Cortázar: http://wp.me/p3dirq-bc
LikeLike
By: Aquileana on 7 January, 2015
at 14:18