Phil Franklyn
Precarious

Lock it in my brain for all time:
we come from the earth.
Like a leaf reaching for the sun
we crave warmth, nourishment,
the soft touch of a wind’s whisper.
Life begins with a cry,
ends with a sigh;
we choose each day how to breathe.

The roots reach back eons
to the monkeys in the trees
fighting over nuts and seeds,
pelting each other with sticks,
but also grooming their mates.
The choice comes down to this:
a brandished cane
or a proffered rose.

I teeter on a precipice;
between grubbing for peanuts
and fishing for compliments
do we miss the rainbow?
Find it in a magnolia’s perfume,
in the rhythm of a cricket’s song.
To finally ground myself
I must mine this moment’s gold.

Phil Franklin’s first passion is writing. He started out with a B.A. in creative writing from Carnegie-Mellon University, but went on
to get a masters in computer science. He published several poems as a young man, most notably in the prestigious Kansas Quarterly. As his career in software development progressed, he excelled at technical writing. In retirement, he has returned to writing poetry, along with his other hobbies: competitive backgammon, reading, tai chi, and playing harmonica (badly).