Falling in Slow Motion (Elbows and Egos)

It only takes a quick second or two

to lose one of our daily negotiations with gravity 

and that's when things get interesting,

as the ground rushes towards you and you realize

this moment in time is now beyond your control 

and may not end well,

then something inside you flips a switch

that turns on a magical super-power

that slows time to a crawl

while pushing your thought process into hyper-drive,

and the flood gate of thought bursts open

with waves of "who's going to see me dump it?"

and "too late for a graceful landing?"

and "can I save this $3.50 cup of coffee?",

and your survival voice screams "stop, drop, and roll!" - 

a survival reminder from the 4th grade fire drill

that, if done correctly, might reduce the impact

with that bottom step fast approaching,

and then, as quickly as it started, it's over 

as the waves of thought recede

to reveal fresh bruises 

on elbows and egos.

Come to think of it, 

this power to slow time and speed up thought

must be the same thing that happened 

the first time I saw you,

when time stood still and the crowd noise faded away

and I stared into your eyes and knew exactly what to say

as I willingly surrendered to falling and braced for impact 

with no fear of bruising.

Inspired by the story "Shuffle" by Maurice Tani

Ken Owen   Van Niddy Press   March 2014