birth

you are there
in that space beyond consciousness
on the cusp of life
and you do not know fear

so why do I
realizing with sudden urgency
the importance of now
the brevity of each passing day
recoil from the cliff's edge
my heart throbbing violently against its cage

what is this paralyzing ache
that seeps into my bones
when I stare into the worn and weary canvas of my grandfather's face
or when I am seized by the music of my youth
and I cannot breathe

you are there
in that space beyond consciousness
on the cusp of life
and you do not know fear

one day
many years from now
you will return to that space
just as we all circle back
to that from which we came

what choice do we have
but to journey home?