What Ifs Poem by Jim Yerman

When we are young we don't think in ‘what ifs'
We have no perception of danger.
We can be seen climbing to the top of a tree,
jumping down and occasionally talking to strangers.

As we get older we start to think in ‘what ifs'
What if I fall, what if what people tell me is true...
And many times the ‘what ifs' stop us
from doing the very things we once loved to do.

I've come up with a ‘what if' solution for me...
Every time I'm about to say, "I won't"
because I've asked myself, "What if I fall? "
I quickly ask...
"What if I don't? "