Strength

She walks along ice easily until she falls.
She slips off the curb into the gutter,
and gets brown gravel on her hands and slacks.
Pulling herself up reminds her of being lifted
again—rejuvenated from the mundane activities
of life and organized routines.

She pulls her body upwards with brute strength
and purposely skids off the sidewalk again.
The more she falls, the stronger she becomes,
and the longer she waits to pull herself up,
the less she accomplishes. The voice in her head
whispers, “stand tall even when you feel small."