Tag: risk

True story:

“This is the gentlest one in the barn.”

My beautiful red haired sister assured me as I mounted the seemingly docile horse and prepared to pretend like I was a ranch worker and help gather up some cattle. Not long in the saddle, feeling a little confident, enjoying the scenery, “the gentlest one in the barn” decided to take me on a Wild West rodeo ride around the pasture.

I managed to hold on and not fall off long enough for my beautiful red haired sister to ride close enough to get the reins and force the raring and bucking creature to come to a stop. I jumped off and skirted out of the way and then my beautiful red haired sister took “the gentlest one in the barn” on one hell-of-a-ride.

Sometimes we enter a situation

Falsely believing we are safe

Then something happens

Life starts bucking like a wild horse

And even though

We are scared to death

We grab the saddle horn

Imagine we are fearless

Manage to hold on

Without falling off

And fate loves us for it

Sometimes we enter a situation

Knowing the risk

Facing the danger full on

We saddle-up

Ready for the bucking to start

Welcoming it

Fearless

And fate loves us for it

Fate loves the fearless

Regardless of whether

We knew

We had it in us or not

E.A. Fussell

11/01/2018

Come Play With Me

Come play with me

For a little while

Let’s see what we can see

Throw caution to the wind

Forget that we’re just friends

We’ll transform ourselves

From caterpillars trudging along

To butterflies in a beautiful song

Come play with me

We’ll laugh, and dance

Do something crazy

Take a chance

Maybe we’ll scale a mountain peak

Go swimming in oceans deep

Maybe we’ll explore castles and caverns

Or spend the night shooting billiards

In a local tavern

Come play with me

No expectations

No what-happens-next questions

Just two people enjoying the moment

Living life on a whim

Don’t think about it

Just jump in

Come play with me

E.A. Fussell

08/30/2018

No Sugar Required

One of my friends

Is always looking for

An old Sugar Daddy

Someone to

Pay her bills

Buy her gifts

Treat her special

But all she ends up with

Are young Splenda Daddy’s

Ones that can barely

Take care of themselves

I’ll admit

I’ve thought about

What it might be like

To have someone

To take care of me

But then I realized

I already do

He’s the Author of Creation

I’m the daughter of a King

Whatever I ask for

If I believe

I receive…..

No sugar required

E.A. Fussell

08/28/2018

Matthew 7:7-8 KJV

Dangerous Eyes

Those eyes

They are dangerous

Like magnets

Drawing me in

Tying me up

The way you’re looking at me

It’s not hard to see

Through the thoughts in your mind

I’m familiar with their kind

You’re drawing me in

Tying me up

Desire burns deep

On nights I can’t sleep

Those eyes are dangerous

Drawing me in

Tying me up

Please close those eyes

Before someone gets hurt

Too late…..

The damage can’t be undone

E.A. Fussell

08/19/2018

Either, Or

He stood on the edge of two worlds

Contemplating his life

As he floated along between

Yesterday and tomorrow

A clock ticked loudly reminding him

That time does not stop

No matter how important the moment

He wished he would have

Paid less attention to the clock

Time to go to work

Time to go to a meeting

Time to go to church

Time to go

Go

Go

A railroad crossing sign

Painfully reminded him

Of opportunities he had let slip away

By being too cautious

At the crossroads of his life

He wished he had

Jumped on the train of uncertainty

At more of his crossroads

Instead of standing safely on the sidelines

A lamp post cast just enough light

To see his immediate surroundings

But not enough to see into the darkness

He wondered if the light

Was directly powered by the energy

He had put into living his life

What might have been the result

If he had displayed more passion

Embraced more risk

Laughed more

Loved more

Would the lamp be shining brighter

If he had spent less time

Worrying about the future

More time living in the moment

His eyes fell on the luggage by his feet

He had bought it years ago

When he had made a list

Of places he would go

Only a few destination stickers

Had been obtained before

His travel list

Had been replaced by

A weekly things to do list

He loved his family

And had led a good life

But all his youthful dreams

Had been sacrificed

For a simple routine

And a dutiful life

Why had he lived as “either, or”

Either he could be a family man

Or he could be a world traveler

Either he could be a businessman

Or he could be an artist

What if he had realized

He could take care of his family

And allow time for his dreams

Waves splashed around the raft

As the unseeable shoreline

Loomed closer in the darkness

He could see the simblance

Of a mountain in the distance

He could since a different world

Awaiting him in the afterglow

The waves got rougher and

One of the suitcases was knocked over

Unlatched it spilled out memories of

Packing to go to the hospital

For the birth of his first child

Packing for family vacations

For his 25th anniversary

For funerals, graduations, weddings

He got the sense that he was at

The most important crossroad

Of his existence

What to carry into eternity with him

Either

The dreams yet unfulfilled

Or

The memories of a lifetime

His heart raced as he felt the raft

Touch land and knew he had to decide

The clock was ticking louder

The lamp light was growing dimmer

The crossroads sign seemed to be fading

A decision was required

Now

For the first time in his life

In the last moments of it

He made his best decision

He jumped off the security of the known

Onto the shoreline

Into the darkness of uncertainty

Carrying one suitcase filled with dreams

And the other filled with memories

No longer stuck in a state of “either,or”

Finally realizing

He could have so much more

E.A. Fussell

08/18/2018

Dancing on the Edge

Life is a delicate balance

Or is it

Really?

Haven’t you ever

Pushed the limits

Of your body

Your mind

Your spirit

To find

You are still standing

Or you got back up

We waste so much of our precious time

Playing it safe

Normal

Acceptable

For the remainder of my life

I will push myself to the limit

I will dance on the edge of the table

Crystal candelabras be damned

If I should fall

I will get back up

But the universe respects boldness

And I believe it will cheer me on

Allowing me to teeter boldly

On the edge

Exploring “what if’s”

And “why nots”’

Until I slide sideways into the next life

Where I will not make the

Same mistake

Of living securely, safely,

Seated at the table

No

I will boldly live teetering

On the tables edge of possibility

Crystal candelabras be damned

E.A. Fussell

08/08/2018