How I hated them
the cautionary words my father spoke
don't set your course too high he said
stay close to me
we'll keep within a reasonable distance
of earth's cooling vapors
don't overreach yourself
but how could I
not seize the moment
after feeling that first exultation
and oh how close I came
I could have simply reached out
and touched the god himself
source of all earthly life
our one true father
no, I have not the least regret
that single moment
of ecstasy
of weightless flight as I began
my precipitous descent
was worth whatever price
even my life