Early Lessons

I have never climbed a tree.
Once, I tried -
but only as a child.
My mother ran screaming from the house,
scolding my bravery as foolishness.
The decision was made:
do not climb trees.

I nearly drowned once,
also as a child.
Playfully splashing in ocean waves one moment,
struggling for air the next.
The decision was made:
beware the ocean.

A visit to the circus -
an exciting family outing.
My father rushed from the tent
when the trapeze artists began to swing.
His anxiety was contagious.
Falling can kill.

As a teenage girl,
I thought I knew what love was.
And so I loved, and I was hurt,
damaged, time and time again.
Love should not be a struggle,
but a blessing.

Fears can disable us,
make us give up
or never try.
I don’t climb trees.
I avoid the ocean past my knees.
I stay far from the edges of high places.
But loving is something
I refuse to fear.



Poetry by Melinda K Zarate The PoetBay support member heart!
Written on 2026-01-15 at 16:02

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