It’s not like I’ve never been
on the edge of my seat–
I’ve been there plenty of times
Like watching the 1980 Olympic
Ice Hockey team defeat Russia
Or Elizabeth Proctor telling a lie
Not unlike cheering the thoroughbred
who edges out his opponent
in a Santa Anita photo finish
I’ve also seen those rock climbers
who, poised on the edge of the cliffs,
give me palpitations
Or the looney bin escapees
who crest the bluff
of Niagara in a barrel
That, an interesting obsession
for sure–bobbing along and then
dropping into the deathly plunge pool
Or my teetering on the brink
of this page where I find myself
paddling frantically upstream
from the topic of you.
Word Play 