In-between the person she was
and the one she is becoming,
Ida at two and a-half, is
a high-wire act.

there is no standing still,
no turning back.
there is always a next step
and the next one after that.

It’s a white-water panic attack,
you can’t rest, you can’t catch up,
everything has become a test.

you can see concern
spread across her face
as she scans the scene for clues.

what to do, what to do.

Well, I would remind you,
this is how it is.
nothing’s changed,
you just now noticed it.

everything flows
everything is on the move.
you, me, the birds
even the trees.

the trick to keeping your balance
is to hold on lightly
and more lightly
until you can let go.