Saturday
September 7, 2024 
I stood at the edge of the gorge near
the abandoned Allegheny coal mine.
My friends, who wore pocketknives and climbing gear
jumping past me like gazelles laughing at the idea
of vertical vs horizontal, cliff versus valley.
I hesitated. The rocks below became sharper,
the fall became further, the leap itself
suddenly insurmountable. My fear like gloved hands
pressing my throat, C’mon, c’mon.
Haven’t we all stood like this at the precipice
of who we are and who we want to be?
The fear of being left behind in the wrong shoes
with no map to lead us back to the parking lot
brushed with unexpected snow?
When one of the guys came back for me,
he said, If you have ever been on a subway
at 2 am in a mini skirt, this is a lot safer.
My courage leapt like a clumsy goat,
my fingers grasped the knife edge of a rock
on the other side. It seemed like a dream
that I did not fall. Scraped knee, strained finger muscle—
isn’t that what we are made of?
Aren’t the words, I did it, I did it,
like waking up to the possibility
of becoming who you truly are?
Corie Feiner is the Poet Laureate Emeritus of Bucks County and an award-winning author, performance poet and slam champion called “wonderful” by The New York Times and “absorbing” by Backstage Magazine. She obtained her M.F.A. studying with some of the greats at New Yor University. Her latest project, A Poem for Every Pose, combines her love of yoga with her craft. You can learn more about on her Substack publication at: https://coriefeiner.substack.com.
Poet’s Corner is curated by Bucks County Poet Laureate Emeritus Tom Mallouk and supported by a grant to the Bucks County Herald Foundation made possible by Marv and Dee Ann Woodall.
To submit a poem for consideration, email it to Heraldpoetscorner@gmail.com. If the poem has been previously published, please say where it first appeared.
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.