poem “Step”, a poem about punishment for generosity By Chicago Poet Janet Kuypers

[the Writing of Kuypers] [JanetKuypers.com] [Bio] [Poems] [Prose]

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poem Step in the first round at the final Austin installment (at her house) of the Poetry Plus open mic 7/22/16 (this video was Canon Power Shot camera).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poem Step in the first round at the final Austin installment (at her house) of the Poetry Plus open mic 7/22/16 (this video was filmed w/ a Sony camera).

See YouTube video 8/28/16 of Janet Kuypers reading her 3 poems “Step”, “One Summer” and “John” at the Austin open mic Kick Butt Poetry (video filmed from a Canon Power Shot).

See YouTube video 8/28/16 of Janet Kuypers reading her 3 poems “Step”, “One Summer” and “John” at the Austin open mic Kick Butt Poetry (video filmed from a Sony camera).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers’ August 2017 Book Release Reading 8/2/17 of Down in the Dirt’s book “Ancient Colors” poems “Marilyn Monroe Falling Through the Cracks”, “Step”, “jumped”, “behind”, “gone”, “bruised” and “oceans” in Community Poetry @ Half Price Books (Lumix camera).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers’ August 2017 Book Release Reading 8/2/17 of Down in the Dirt’s book “Ancient Colors” poems “Marilyn Monroe Falling Through the Cracks”, “Step”, “jumped”, “behind”, “gone”, “bruised” and “oceans” in Community Poetry @ Half Price Books (Sony camera).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Step” and “Marilyn Monroe Falling Through the Cracks” from her book “(pheromemes) 2015-2017 poems”, plus her poem “On All Fours” at Georgetown’s “Poetry Aloud” open mic 9/9/17 (from a Lumix camera).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Step” and “Marilyn Monroe Falling Through the Cracks” from her book “(pheromemes) 2015-2017 poems”, plus her poem “On All Fours” at Georgetown’s “Poetry Aloud” open mic 9/9/17 (from a Sony camera).

Step
Janet Kuypers
7/15/16
Step on a crack,
        break your momma’s back.
Step on a land mine,
        blow up your infantry.
Step on an IED,
        blow up your military-grade Hum V,
        not because you were at war
        but because you were sent there
        to try to keep the peace.
‘Cause if you’re not in a standing army
you can always improvise
        and make explosive devices
to destroy an enemy
that’s only trying to keep the peace.
We’ve all taken that step before,
to lend a hand,
to help a blind man cross a street,
to help a mentally disabled teen
        learn to swim across
        the shallow end of the pool,
to open a door
        for someone with their hands full,
to take some of the weight
        from someone who has too much to carry.
We’ve all taken that step before,
and when we stepped into a war
we didn’t know that we were in
every generous move
could be our last.
That’s what we get for kindness.
That’s what we get for trying to lend a hand.
That’s what we get
        for seeing those cracks in the road
        and trying to help others
        struggle through this maze of life.
Step on a crack,
        break your momma’s back.
But be careful —
that crack could open into a gorge
and swallow you whole,
as that deepening crack
dines on your hopes and dreams.
So remember,
step lightly.
Check around you,
check above and below,
‘cause it’s a slippery slope
when you trade kindness for security.
You’ve stomped through life,
you’ve gotten ahead.
Just remember
when to step lightly,
and be prepared
with both that welcoming hand
and that big stick.
Be ready for every disaster —
and you’re ready at every glorious moment —
at every
single
step.

my hand to an anim of jkchair