Elevator
       

The elevator's out of service, shut
down for repairs. You have to take the stairs.
Enjoy the climb. The easy way is out.
They say it could be months. Oh, call it years.

Head down. Begin the ascent. Don't count the floors.
An idea now, the elevator's not
an option, if you want to get somewhere.
For that, you need sheer will, legs, lungs, and feet.

Don't push a button and expect to hear
from a machine that wants to bear your weight
and lift you bird-like into steepest air.
Don't stand here if you mean to keep that date.

Someday you'll wonder, "Did I really ride
an elevator once?" and laugh out loud.

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Copyright © 2016 Philip Dacey All rights reserved
from Southern Poetry Review
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission