The ladder loomed before her and beckoned,<\/p>\n
It pulled her toward it against her will.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t want to do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Her eyes looked at the first few rungs,<\/p>\n
The ladder was steady and each step looked strong.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Maybe I can do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Then she lifted her eyes and peered toward the sky,<\/p>\n
The ladder disappeared into the cottony clouds above.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t want to do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She looked behind her and the fire licked the ground as it grew,<\/p>\n
She could feel it getting closer as she turned back to the ladder.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Maybe I can do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She squinted upward trying to see the top of the ladder,<\/p>\n
She knew it might be worse that what was behind her.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t want to do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A shriek pierced the deafening roar of the fire,<\/p>\n
She bolted toward the ladder.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Maybe I can do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Her hands grasped onto the sides of the ladder,<\/p>\n
It felt cool despite the rising temperature around her.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I have to do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Her foot faltered as she pushed herself onto the first rung of the ladder,<\/p>\n
She hesitated as she looked above and then turned back to the fire.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I can do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Her face burned from the heat and she once again turned her back on the flames,<\/p>\n
Her jaw clenched as her grip tightened,<\/p>\n
And she raised her foot to the next rung.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I have to do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She moved slowly up the ladder,<\/p>\n
As drops of sweat hissed in the flames that now danced below her.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I can do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The wood began to vibrate beneath her hands and feet as she moved higher,<\/p>\n
And her breath caught when she realized the flames were now attacking the ladder.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She began frantically climbing upward,<\/p>\n
And she glanced upward at the ladder engulfed in soft clouds.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I can do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The ladder shuddered and dropped several feet,<\/p>\n
She clung to helplessly waiting to fall. But it didn\u2019t fall.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I can do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She began climbing again as the fire ate at the bottom rungs,<\/p>\n
The comfort of the clouds seemed to get farther away even as she scrambled upward.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Her arms and legs ached at the effort and struggled to continue,<\/p>\n
Her hands were growing numb and her grip began to loosen.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She looked up and miraculously she was almost there,<\/p>\n
She steeled herself for the final climb.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I can do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Soft wisps of white touched her face,<\/p>\n
She sighed in relief.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I\u2019m going to make it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She moved her hand up for the last few inches,<\/p>\n
She gasped as it slipped from the ladder and her body began to fall back.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Tears began to fill her eyes as the clouds grew more distant,<\/p>\n
The heat grew stronger at her back as she fell to earth.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As she closed her eyes, she was startled by a hand that wrapped around hers.<\/p>\n
Her strength was gone, and she couldn\u2019t grab on.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But the hand didn\u2019t let go and she realized she had stopped falling.<\/p>\n
She was weak but the hand that held her was so strong.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He can do this.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The hand gently raised her and the clouds eventually encircled her,<\/p>\n
Soon a bright light shone around her. She was safe. The fire could not reach her.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She made it because of Him.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
-Diana Kristine<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The ladder loomed before her and beckoned, It pulled her toward it against her will. I don\u2019t want to do this. Her eyes looked at the first few rungs, The ladder was steady and each step looked strong. Maybe I can do…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":983,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[5825],"class_list":["post-128295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-half-marathon-poem","tag-2023-hour-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/983"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128295"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128295\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128305,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128295\/revisions\/128305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}