Red Tears

A two year old smile approaches the tree
Excited eyes, excited feet, excited hands
He grips the tree but slips and falls,
nose scraped, and bleeding, he cries.

Without hesitation, despite red tears
as he struggles, shakes, and holds tight,
afraid of falling but still he climbs on,
from hand to hand and foot to foot.

On safe branch he sits, looks my way,
The last red tear drops through his new smile.

Authors note: Today I watched my son fall barely more than a foot down the trunk of a tree and my amazement at his strength to try again. There was something special about the moment that I wanted to capture.


J. Abram Barneck.
Copyright © 2010 by Rhyous, Inc. All rights reserved.

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