«I have a fear of falling…» — Summary

I have a fear of falling, a fear for falling in love, a fear of falling from a height, a fear of flying, I have a fear for flying thousands of feet above the ground.

but let me tell you something.. I fell in love, It was fast and I didn't notice till I was hit with a wave, a wave, an urge to fall. an urge to fall further and harder, it was an unstoppable feeling,

I wanted to fly I wanted to travel where no man should, to break through the clouds and break through the distance. I wanted to face my biggest fears even if it meant I would only get a night with you; that alone would be enough, a few hours by your side and in your arms...

I had a fear but the fear of not seeing you and holding you or touching you was worse, half a world between your hand and mine. I do not know what you smell like or what you feel like but I don't care.

I didn't fall in love with that, I fell in love with your smile, I fell for the way you speak and how you laugh.. I thought my biggest fear was falling but it isn't, my biggest fear is losing you.

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Brittany Allen's poem begins with a list of fears: falling, flying, heights, and falling in love. The speaker then turns and says, "but let me tell you something." She has fallen in love anyway, and it happened so quickly that it hit her like a wave. The word "fall" does double duty here, meaning both the thing she dreads and the thing she has done.

The poem suggests the person she loves is far away, since she mentions "half a world" between their hands. She says she would face her fear of flying for just one night with them. She admits she doesn't know how they smell or feel, but she loves their smile, their voice and their laugh instead.

The mood is breathless and tender, with a hint of ache. By the end, the speaker realizes her biggest fear was never falling. It is losing the person she loves.

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