even when the ledge
doesn’t promise shit.
a good reach,
a little strength,
that’s all the world asks
and maybe
a small kindness
on the way up.
because the climb
doesn’t end at the step,
it ends when you stop
believing there’s one more.
so you believe,
not because you’re holy
or brave,
but because someone once
pulled you up,
and their handprint
never left your skin.
