Just Hang On!
When I was young, I played outside
and cousins often were my crew;
the big kids usually would decide
which games to play, and what to do.
One spring day my excitement grew
as we set out just after dawn:
my cousin said keep him in view,
to grab a branch, then just hang on.
We headed through the countryside;
the morning world still wet with dew.
The teenagers would be my guide—
at five, I tried to be brave too.
For days it rained, now skies were blue;
then, as a group, we came upon
a swollen creek. Somehow I knew
to grab a branch, and just hang on.
It seemed more like a river wide
as leaves and branches by me flew.
My cousin, eight, said I could ride
upon his shoulders—he’d wade through.
Halfway across, a slippery shoe
submerged us both. A helpless pawn,
I couldn’t swim, but had a clue:
“Grab a branch, and just hang on!”
We did, and thus we found it’s true:
when fear is great, hope’s never gone…
If the world tilts, and goes askew,
grab a branch, and just hang on.
Dusty Grein is a retired Managing Editor of a small press publishing company—as well as a graphics designer, author, and poet. Originally from Federal Way, Washington, he is a lifetime resident of the Pacific Northwest. His critically acclaimed best-selling novel, The Sleeping Giant, and his first poetry collection, A Mist Shrouded Path, are available in print and as Kindle Select titles. His shorter works and award-winning poetry have been published in several collections, including Chicken Soup for the Soul, OWS Inked, and The Quarterday Review. His blog, From Grandpa’s Heart… is followed by fans around the world.
