Tracing a Path

My heart races, pumping oxygen to my muscles,
My hearing sharpens, and my eyes focus ahead,
I am alert, artfully balancing the precarious edge between safety and injury,
I know my element well, and am one with the surface beneath me.

My movements are silent and controlled,
Feet lighting upon the rooftop, I flit between shingle and concrete,
I have befriended my body, and it is eager to provide what I require of it,
Even still, my rational mind is appalled at the prospect of what I must do.

It approaches; The leap that I must make,
I have done it a hundred times before yet still I fear.
But with every step that brings me ever closer to the precipice,
I move through the fear, for I must; There can be no hesitation.

I master my thoughts and push forward,
Adjusting my footing instinctively, the ball of my right foot meets the edge,
I see where I will land a good 12 feet away,
And with an explosion of speed, I leap.

My eyes lose focus as my peripheral vision momentarily takes over,
My hearing is obscured by the rush of wind,
My heart beats but a single time,
And for that perfect moment in time...

I fly.