The Ladder

On good days I climb up a few rudders on this ladder and on the not so good days I climb down a few, maybe slip up and fall down a few more. On the worst days I sit at the bottom of the well. The water down here is dark and it wants to eat me alive, it saps the energy from my body. I gaze to the top, looking for the light, wondering what caused me to fall all the way down here. Things weren't always this bad. But eventually, I gather my strength and start to climb again. The process may repeat several times before I reach the top, but I've breathed the air outside of this well and it's sweet. The air smells like freshly cut alfalfa on a cool summer day and the breeze is refreshing. I want to sit on the top of the well and bask in the warm rays of a meadow filled all of my favorite flowers. And on my best days, I do.