the unfallen

i am the wiser one
for not having gone
i held back at the gate
with a pause and a poise
pretended

"we'll jump on three,"
i said,
firming the resolve of the others
(those lemmings)
and as the numbers rose
to the precipice
their calves tensing,
breath catching,
i put just enough spring
to convince them,
and they were gone,
too late to realize
and much too late to turn back
(suckers).

on the dust of the edge
i played games with myself
anagrams of "hesitate":
"'e ate shit"
or"'e hates it."
but eventually,
quite bored of listening
for survivors,
i left,
the only one
unfallen.