Particular Words in a Specific Order

I stand on the edge of the world, which 
is a ball of twisting roots and branches 
that fly from no central trunk. An axe 

sits comfortably in my hand. Over the face 
of the last cliff is pink mist stretched to 
eternity. I would be dizzy if there was wind. 

I let a foot shift closer and consider the fall. 
If I fell, I would fall forever. Behind me, the 
wasteland of knotted wood invites a different 

kind of limbo. To stand in this halfway is 
to stand forever, and the axe is only as 
heavy as I am tired, so it would be a wait. 

I decide to stand, but not for long. I will stand 
until I fall, and then I will fall forever. And  
then there is the time before the fall, a different 

kind of forever.

2019