Dig Deep...Reach High genre: Rhyme-N-Reason

I've always loved symbolism and metaphor...and the following poem is rife with both. I wrote this poem while imagining life to be like a leap from a cliff into a still body of water. The leap symbolizes decisiveness and the water below is the canvas upon which one's will is painted. Life, like a body of water can swallow the soul in an instant and leave one scrambling to find solid ground upon which to land. If we succeed, we catch our breath and resurface to try again.

When we finally become who we are, the ripples of our actions not only reach the shore and leave their mark for all to see...they return to remind us where we've been and who we've touched. Such is the tenuous nature of our travels...all of which are defined through the prism that illuminates the fragile reality of our human condition.

I've included a photograph of the Tiber River that I took on a chilly wintry day while walking in Rome...thinking about the countless reminders of those who went before and left so many symbols of who they were and what they believed.

Tiber River in Rome - 2004

Dig Deep...Reach High

The weight of life engulfed me
While from the cliff I leapt

I sank to the bottom of the sea
In hopes I’d find some depth

The surface leaves me restless
It’s substance that I seek

The journey leaves me breathless
Facades are frail and weak

In haste I grasp a gasp of air
The ocean’s really deep

The bottom line is hidden there
The price of truth is steep

Make no waves is what they say
The boat will not endure

But if you plan to find your way
Still waters must be stirred

I break the barrier with my feet
My soul will touch the floor

Victory’s stolen from defeat
The lighthouse shines once more

Beneath the picture is complete
My ripples reach the shore

Daniel DiRito | May 9, 2007 | 5:11 PM
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