I hate heights.
Trusting my uneasy
balance and bulk
to a path no wider
than a goat path
with a drop off on
one side, steepness
on the other, and
no place to
stop and rest
terrifies me. I loved
walking along the beach, but
the bluff above beckoned
and tempted me.
Honey, do you
want to finish the loop
and get back to the
truck before dark, asked
my date. Yes, I do, but I'm
paralyzed by how high I climbed -
five shaky steps at a time. I can't move.
Darling, I'm with you. I invited you.
I wanted you to see it from here.
Do you like it - this dazzling view?
When I finally reached the path along the bluff, I felt faint and dizzy. I wondered if I was going to topple all the way to the bottom. Nothing there to stop me. Alone and desperate, I decided to start singing….
Oh Lord, you're beautiful. Your face is all I see. And when your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me.
Tears streamed down my face as I tried to breathe calmly. A young man suddenly appeared in front of me. He looked back with the kindest eyes and said, you're going to get some great pictures. And disappeared. He wore a stocking cap.
Historic Ebey's Landing - Whidbey Island, Washington
