and then

It is not a falling -
no one is bruised
no gut-wrenching thrills

No one is falling -
it isn’t an accident,
and it's not a shame, not quite

Think of the Pleiades:
You stare into darkness for a long while, and
your eyes unfocus; while you brood, bored
It begins.
The first one is a startlement -
the next a joy, the third a story to tell but then
the rain of light begins in earnest
And this is no longer the world you knew

Thrilled to silence.
Awed, and distantly fearing -

Falling
In this case
Is far away and soundless
Is holding me motionless
Has stilled me
Will leave me intact
and, hopefully, wiser than I was
Before