To a bookshelver on a ladder

I think of the split moment,

The instant you lose your balance,

The second of an instant, of that moment

You forget that it is not the green floor you’re standing on,

But the third step on the step of the ladder you are about to fall from.

You think in nanoseconds what you will hit.

The dangerous destinations:

The sharp corners,

The brick wall,

Hard metals of things that can puncture

Through flesh and bone.

Then I think of catching you

My arms a safety net.

Sit you down on a nearby blue stool

Where you take deep breaths,

Hold your chest

& Gather yourself like spilt postcards.

You gotta learn to be more careful