insisted on carrying me into the house. This so shocked my neighbors that they came out onto their lawns. I decided it would be better if I didn't kick and scream in front of them. I mean, it was bad enough! I reckoned without Mama, though. She had been weeding her garden out back when Fred drove up and was just then coming around the corner of the house. I'll never forget the horrified look on her face when she saw me. She let out a piercing shriek and charged at us brandishing her hoe as if she were going to murder us where we stood. Fred hurried to the porch and literally dropped me by the door. I went straight upstairs and left Fred to explain to Mama what he had done to me. When he called later on, I told him politely that I didn't think we should see each other any more. And that was that. It was the most terrifying and humiliating experience of my life. I'll never have to worry about Harvey doing anything like that, thank Heaven. Like I said, it was a close call. Imagine being married to a man like that! I consider myself lucky to have found out what he was really like before I got too involved. Well, I've used up all my paper now and I still have to make dessert for tonight. We're having some friends over for bridge. Good luck on getting your coat! Love, Grace by Libby Tinker 16 The Fall Up Gordon Sorensen It was too far to go The realization of cold fingers The reality of grey rock Of past holds, future trys The rope half-tight, nerve like Communication from form To feeling hand The solidity that stops gasps, Welds blatters, sews faith Into a cup of tea, the sanction Of a narrow ledge. Wound tight to it, We like spiders, seemed to know Where the line leads Why rocks are so sought for When they fake their beauty Far shouts not heard "Turn out, lift higher, -no there Below, between the legs!" Holds that come loose The dream like reality in the mind The sudden stretch of the rope Warming rasp of rock against the flesh Blackness drawing near to taste Blood-like, coppery in the mouth Warm on the hand But the sense not gone The dream not broken Shaken for a moment, we tried To use Gods name, to hammer A piton, weave a rope Yet when we're back to track, Safe as if we're all the center-man We won't, we will deny That on the lead for a moment Before the end of the ballet, When the thrill is just emptiness Confusion drawn from beauty There seemed, there seemed To be a God. 17