Rungs on a Ladder

How tall is the ladder I’m on?

How much higher can I go

before my energy is gone?

I look up, but I can’t see the top.

I look down, and I know I won’t

stop. Below me is a ground I can’t

see. I am far above the trees.

I have almost reached the clouds.

I see many people climbing

their own ladders. Everyone is

moving at their own pace.

Some are below me; others are

reaching new heights. As I pass

another rung, I feel myself

getting older. My knees grow

weaker, but I keep climbing.

With every step, I realize

I still have some time left.

Before I reach out and grab

another rung, I stop and look

around. I breathe in the crisp

air, and I feel the heat radiating

from the sun. For once in my life,

I am beginning to feel free.

The day I was born, I started

at the very bottom of the ladder.

I have climbed every day since.

How much higher will I go?

The best part of asking that

question is that I will never know.