The Art of Ignoring Warnings.

From where you stand, it looks like the end of the world,
a long jetty of stone extending out into the ocean,
a seawall, designed to protect the harbor,
a small sign at the end, warning you the end is nigh
as if the intrepid explorer who has come this far
cannot tell.

The sign is orange in a grey world, a bright reminder
that from a distance, loses it’s color, lost in the greyness
of a foggy morning. It is not until you clamber close
that you see its colorful warning: Beyond here
you are at risk of falling into the sea.

The warning is well meant, even for all it does not know,
whether the climber needs the warning,
or wishes to fall into the sea like a man on the brink
of falling in love, who pauses, just for a moment,
before diving into the deep waters,

taking chances with tides and currents
for the experience of no longer being land bound.

About this poem

A poem about taking risks. About deciding to fall in love. About opening our spirit to God. Poetry is never about one thing.

The photograph was taken at Rye, NH. It is titled “The End of the World.”  You can order a print of this image here.

Tom