Escape Velocity

Whenever I post a poem, I always face the dilemma of whether to share its provenance, or to let readers jump to their own conclusions. After some deliberation, I’ve decided with the latter approach for this one.

The idea for this one, came as I watched the sun rise over Crescent Park, in St. Petersburg. I was still wearing a smile on my face, as I could still hear the middle-aged African-American woman still singing gospel songs, as she jogged around the lake. She was now at some distance, but her voice carried over the water, and her joy was palpable.

I decided that I needed the definition for escape velocity, and so I turned to my trusty friend, Wikipedia. The first two verses are pretty much what it had to say.

Escape Velocity

when wishing to break free
of a planet or a moon
escape velocity is required
in order to escape
the gravitational influence

escape velocity
textbooks tell us
rises with a body’s mass
falling as that body
recedes into the distance

leaving old lives behind
embracing new opportunities
the same rule applies
escape velocity is required
a leap of faith is called for

© 2021 Robert Ford