Photo by Arthur Miranda
The blank sign-up sheet
calls to me like a white
buffalo bellowing,
Sign now!
I pigeonhole my doubt.
Can a turkey fly with eagles?
Snow-peaked mountains await
the bold speaker. Can I
shake off the jitters
loosen up
let the blood flow
gasp enough air to fill my lungs
vibrate the vocal cords?
hmmm...
Think outside the boxed universe—
think glorious thoughts
to make a heart beat faster
slinging sweat off the brow.
Imagine tunnel vision
as the anchor point.
Belayed from a fall
into the crevice of humiliation
I dangle, sandwiched between
two gifted speakers who securely
attach their crafted works
whose words breathe life
over the highest peak
down into the deepest valley
caressing reeds along the lake edge. Now
reflect on my speaking campaign
the lack of a good harness
to hold the right audience,
verbiage clutters the path.
Absent are the concrete images
with too few tie-in similes
to hoist up my propositions
and even fewer metaphors
to attract new listeners.
The call thunders.
Start now!
I scramble to salvation
scale the jagged cliffs
of hesitation and traverse
the granite facade
of Doubt’s Fissure. I
stand tall on the summit
speaking clearly to all, avoiding
mispronunciation
misappropriation
using confident gestures to hit
home the enduring points
with adequate support.
A turkey in flight!
I soar on winds of adulation
perch on clouds of validity
sing praises of a new balance
to eager ears listening below.
Between heaven and earth,
summit to base camp
I rappel down into reflection
to command a climactic end
on solid ground, content
with the polite tap
of fingers on palms.
The Author
Randy Lee White earned a Master in Arts with a Major in English from UNC Charlotte in 2007. He enjoys fishing, golf, and camping with the grandchildren. He has had stories and poems published in The Monarch Review, Gambling the Aisle, Sanskrit, Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, Sanskrit, and The Helix Literary Magazine. A collection of his stories, “Yearnings: Rendezvous,” is available at Amazon.com. For further information you can visit online at www.randywhitenow.com.
Randy White