Fear of Falling

i was climbing a ladder one day
and the world changed
instead of scaling upwards
it stetched across empty air
balancing horizontal
on a topsy-turvy world
and i was perturbed
to say the least
clutching the polished bars
that were the only trellis i had
to keep from falling into this world
of cannot-be
the trees went sliding by
green blurs of a comet
with brown tails showering
rocks and dirt like stardust
and the bricks creaked and quaked
bending back and forth
like that jello
we used to crush between our teeth
until it was liquid soft and sweet
and sticky red slipping through our lips
and then they collapse
sliding in a bright flood
through the rolling streets
picking up lamp posts along the way
that toss about straight up
still glowing
like the glowing masts
of some sunken ship that even the ghosts have left
and it came rushing crashing down towards me
shreiking against the silver edges
of telephone wires
that suddenly shone sharp
and cut breaches i nthe red rush
that swallowed them up
even as they sliced it into liquid portions
and i threw my own voice into the crowd of noise
screaming thin and high
wrapping my extremities around these golden bars
while the wind whipped my hair
into a blindfold and gag
and then i fell.

They asked 'Are you okay?
why did you fall?'
and i said "i forgot that i
cannot fly"

so they walked away
and i wondered which world was real.