Leap Before You Look

by Linda Faltin


Look before you leap, the old adage tells us.
Play it safe.
Better safe than sorry.
Never talk to strangers.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Birds of a feather flock together.

But what kind of life portrait
would we paint if these words
formed our only palette? if
coloring inside the lines in
black and white and shades
of gray were preferable to
living life in the rainbow hues
of daring and delight?

Sometimes the only way to
grow is to make a leap of faith.
unsure of where or how you'll land
but certain that the landscape
of your life will change...
and how, pray, tell, will you ever
make new friends if strangers
are off-limits? out-of-bounds?

So- we need new adages, it seems to me:
Leap before you look.
Play it daring.
Better sorry than always risk-free.
Smile at strangers...dare to engage.
Those birds in the bush have a song worth hearing.
and with arms open wide, welcome every "kind"
into your flock.

Now, that's a life in living color!




(Linda dedicated this poem to me. Thanks Linda, you have no idea how much this means to me.)