The boy who chopped the stick

told the sapling he needed an arrow

to reach a certain place up high.

too far for him to touch,

launched its sharpened tip

from his bow at the sun

and was blinded a minute

at the apex of its arc

 

The arrow fell back slowly over time

landing in his later years when he

mourned he had not touched the place

he hoped his arrow would reach

and apologized to the forest

he had not been able

to bring back enough light

to illuminate the entire earth