Safety Second

A rock may slide out from under your feet as you climb,
And you may get poison oak from time to time.
Or sometimes you are out and it's 30 degrees,
And you're sure you see a mountain lion, off in the trees.
But remember, it's better to twist an ankle or scrape a knee,
Than spend all day in front of the T.V.
Life is best when looking from the cliff's highest ridge,
Or jumping to cold water from off of a bridge.
Who said, "Safety First?"  They must be quite bores.
I bet their parents made them play indoors.
Adventure supreme!  It's sure to be reckoned
By all those brave souls who put safety second.

(Of course, adventurous people sometimes die, I've heard,
But I'm pretty sure those people put safety third.)

By Vivian Ashby Thomas
circa 2004