Zip Wire to Freedom
(after Simon Armitage)
I write in praise of air. It was just me
clothed in a translucent glide,
dressed as a thunderbolt, blurry-eyed
holding the sky in my hair.
To the top in shocking daylight,
then helped to lie face down.
I harnessed my nerves on.
He counted slower than my rapid thoughts,
there was no option to escape.
I wouldn’t.
This was my leave.
I write in praise of air. It was just me
exiting broken years
with a glimpse of healed life,
a rush to be free.
Julie Stevens writes poems that sometimes reflect the impact MS has on her life. Her chapbook, Quicksand, was published by Dreich (Sept 2020) and her Stickleback pamphlet Balancing Act was recently published by Hedgehog Poetry Press (June 2021). Website: www.jumpingjulespoetry.com. Twitter @julesjumping