they can be big or small, but you must take them
or you'll never reach the top floor
where your father is waiting
like he's done so many times before.
Remember the year he remodeled the steps
so they were more of a gradually sloping slant
so you didn't have to do too much
because of your hesitation-
it had been years since you had taken a step
so your range of motion had become limited
and your hip and thigh muscles had atrophied
because when you don't use it you lose it
so that first step was a dozy
in fact every joint in your body ached
and every muscle reacted
like they were going to completely seize
up, but before they did, you decided
not to even try and set down on the bottom step
and took a nice, long nap.
So your father replaced the steps with a ramp
a decent grade, but nothing like the steps,
something gradual. But that was then.
This is now and the steps are normal sized
but you've got to take them.
Your father is waiting at the top.
