Parachute men say . . .
Parachute men say
The first jump
Takes the breath away
Feet in the air disturb
Till you get used to it.
Solid ground
Is not where you left it
As you plunge down
Perhaps head first
As you listen to
Your arteries talking
You learn to sustain hope.
Suddenly you are only
Holding an umbrella
In a windy place
As the warm earth
Reaches out to you
Reassures you
The vibrating interim is over
You try to land
Where green grass yields
And carry your pack
Across the fields
The violent arrival
Puts out the joint
Earth has nowhere to go
You are at the starting point
Jumping across worlds
In condensed time
After the awkward fall
We are always at the starting point
About this poem
This poem, representing the Gambia, is part of The Written World – our collaboration with BBC radio to broadcast a poem from every single nation competing in London 2012.
