The Tightrope

Frederick W. Glasier, American, 1866-1950
Gertrude Dewar, Omega wire act, 1908
Copyrighted image 1908
Negative Number 602
8 x 10 in. glass plate negative
Collection of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

Gertrude Dewar walked the tightrope in 1908

PhiIippe Petit walked the tightrope

between the Twin Towers in 1974.

The image of the tightrope stalks me.

First I saw the Gertrude Dewar photo

at the Ringling Museum show.

Then the image appeared

in the prologue to Colum McCann's novel

_Let the Great World Spin_.

So, today, our last day in Florida

I stretch a long strand of yarn

between my knitting needles, pull it taut,

prepare to walk the tightrope home.

An appropriate metaphor

for a year that has required

balance and agility...