Climbing Over and Other Poems

By Susan L. Pollet

Climbing Over

Seventy people from all
Over the world gingerly
Climbed over an injured man
On a narrow mountain trail
In his terrain his homeland
While they were trying to
Get to the top to set a record
Not to be deterred from their
Lofty goal ignoring human toll
No matter that an unfortunate
Accident to one climber occurred
Brushed right past him though he 
Could have been saved yet
They reached the pinnacle
Their country flags waved
And on their way down they
Left his body for others to
Tend to as they talked to
Reporters and celebrated their
Win drank their champagne
Patted one another on the back
While planning their next climb

Nicks

Until the new car gets a nick you
Think you cannot bear for it to 
Happen but when it does it
Breaks you in like a mark on a
Wall with a recent paint job does

But unkind words never prepare
The way for more of them because
Each nick builds on the last until it
Becomes more than a swipe 
Each chip leaving its mark until the
Notch becomes a cut and the cut
Leads to a scar and the tissue
Builds up and at some point you
Don’t want to be broken in anymore

Editing

It was not high tech
The way he cut her
Face out of the photo
New family fresh
Memories emptied
Out all her flourishes
Until nothing remained
Creating amnesia in
As many as he could
Denied her existence
For the pain it caused
Him but not them
As they loved her still

 Susan L. Pollet is a published author of books in multiple genres including one poetry book entitled “Susiku And More.” She is also a visual artist, an advocate for human rights, a former public interest lawyer, a devoted mother, grandmother and partner, and a world traveler.  She has seen the dark side of humanity, but continues to search for the light.