Falling In, Age 10 
by Mackie Garrett

Let loose in tilt, spun 
& dropped behind what’s left 
of an old man’s row boat, I 
take root in unsayable 
balance as I sink. 

Not far from the slippery edge of 
luck’s short fall, I hear water 
quicken & churn its always
downward white-capped tumble, 

& then I surface, unbroken
near the dam, reaching up 
for breath, an offered hand.

---

Mackie Garrett is a poet and artist based in Iowa City. His poems have appeared in online and print journals including Iodine Poetry Journal, The Fourth River, Plainsongs, Sandpiper, Bombus Press, and Blue River Review. In addition to reading and writing, he enjoys playing music, taking photographs, and letterpress printing. He facilitates events and workshops at the Iowa City Press Cooperative, where he prints zines, chapbooks, greeting cards, and posters for 508 Press. He also loves to spend time with family and friends.