The little girl climbed high in the tree,
Looking up, up, up and never down
Golden leaves fell around her to join others on the ground.
White hair pinned, flower-print dressed,
Her grandmother stood below
Also looking up
Anticipating each step, each
Shift of weight. When the girl chose a rotten branch, she spoke;
Test it first.
Test it first.
And keep your weight close to the trunk.
The child listened.
Not, come on down.
Not, no higher please.
Not, you’re scaring me.
What the child heard: Test it.
Stay close to strong foundations as you rise.
Go on.
Pencilonmybackporch 
“Test it first.” – Brings me back to my childhood. A great memory! I loved your poem for that exact reason. It brought me back to being a kid. You captured it. Thank you for sharing and inspiring!
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Love meeting the 2 characters in the first 2 stanzas, both looking UP.
Love the lesson learned – Test it
You say SO much is such few words.
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Beautifully expressed. What a grandma, someone to encourage, not hold back, a lovely poem!
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Your grandmother was so smart. I love how she lets you “test it”, allowing you to explore and learn under her watchful eye. I appreciate her braveness as she stands there: “white hair pinned and flower-print dressed”.
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Encouraging. Push the limits. Test and go on. More people need to hear this.
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I love this poem and it’s lesson – test it, but keep on going!
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So visual and beautiful. I so love “Stay close to strong foundations as you rise/Go on.” It’s like drinking an elixir of life!
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What a beautiful piece with a beautiful message! The ending was my favorite:
“What the child heard: Test it.
Stay close to strong foundations as you rise.
Go on.”
So powerful!
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Oh, I love this slice! Such a powerful message.
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I missed this one earlier. I’m so glad I came back to this powerful poem. I have memories of climbing trees, but I never had an adult near. I could have used some wise advice. I worry that some or even many of our current generation of children are never allowed to try things out. Their experiences are often controlled.
BTW, I love your new blog format.
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