The Climb Poem by Jim Yerman

At one year old you start to climb over sofas, on beds and up walls
With your parents ever present to make sure that you don't fall.

Or if you fall they're by your side to pick you up and then...
They smile as you toddle off to climb something again.

You climb appliances and furniture on people you go piggyback
All the while empowered knowing someone has your back

You climb trees because you understand the higher that you go
Someone will be waiting anxiously, underneath you...down below.

Then slowly you grow up, that is the curse of time
And you find, as the pace of life moves faster, you don't have time to climb.

Then one day your daughter says, "Dad, come climb these ropes with me.
And then we'll zip line to the bottom." Does she know I'm 63?

But you agree to give it a try and then the date is set
You figure it's like riding a bike, something you don't forget.

When you arrive you see the structure, and you know you're going to die
You don't remember any tree you climbed every being quite so high.

And there are ropes, and swings, and wires that you are to traverse
You realize you might not die...but you hope they have a nurse.

They don't, but you make the climb as sweat flows out of every pore
And you don't remember climbing to be this hard before.

When you finally make it to the top some pain killers you are needing
Every muscle in your body aches, but at least you are not bleeding.

As you zip line back down to the ground, your youth you‘re recreating
And when you arrive and looked around, there is your daughter...waiting.

What are you doing down here you ask, as you bade the climb farewell
"I was just standing by", she said, "to catch you if you fell".

And you understand life has come full circle...how quickly your time flew
From the moment you were catching her until she was catching you.

You learned a little bit about yourself that day, about life and love and time
That no matter how old you think you are...you're never too old to climb.

And you were reminded something about family taught by your father and your mother
That one day if you're lucky, you'll be there to catch each other.