Pulled Loose

A single step, a fraction wide,  

A path misread, a shift untried.  

A careless word, a fleeting thought,  

A fraction less than what it ought.  

A simple slip, a moment passed,  

A seed of doubt, a shadow cast.  

A choice so small, too light to see,  

Yet bends the road invisibly.  

The stream that twists from steady flow,  

Begins with pebbles tossed below.  

A thread pulled loose, a weakened seam,  

Unraveled dreams from one misdeed.  

A drifting course, a subtle sway,  

That leads the light a world away.  

What seemed too slight to heed before,  

Now stands a mountain at your door.