To step out into the void
The wire shivering as it takes the strain
Of my weight upon it
Is to walk into an unknown
An empty darkness
The first few paces of the downward stretch
Towards the disappearing centre
High above the watchers
Who hold their breath
Their eyes pinned upon my every tremble
Until I establish balance
An equilibrium of mind and body
The deathly drop beneath
My out-stretched arms
Fingers tautly pointing
With limbered legs
And the distance to the Earth
Are of no immediate concern
Nor any aid to concentration
The only point of focus
Being one foot in front of another
Eyes upon the destination
Crowds and lights both disappear
Into a faded emptiness
Below my fragile body
As it seems to float along the rope
Blood pumping in my ears
The silence of air
The clarity of perfect quiet
Alone above the world
Determined not to tumble
Into the arms of death below
Copyright Andy Fawthrop 2012
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