Autumn is coming, Americans call
It not falling leaves, but simply the Fall
I wobble like leaves, wander down the hall
But smartly grab walls and don't fall at all.
Should I admit that recently I fell?
That was back in June, in autumn I'm well
New exercises, full of surprises
Make sure if I fall I roll like a ball.
-ends-
Please share links to your favourite poems.
Updated on 20 October 2026 to eight syllables per line.
Practical Information On Preventing Falls And Falling Safely
Safe Falling Demonstration
I recall at a |Toastmasters International club in Singapore, which met at the Sheraton hotel, the late Laurence who had had part of one leg amputated, enjoyed shocking the audience by pretending to fall up the steps to the middle of the dais. He would fall and immediately right himself, and gleefully lift his trousers to show his wooden ankle.
He always got applause and was voted the best table topics speaker. (He was volunteering to give 2 minute impromptu speech on one of the topics which in the 1920s when TI started in the USA were on pieces of paper on the table, face down, selected randomly.)
After writing this poem I started wondering how you avoid a fall. I seem to remember that he had learned to fall safely at martial arts classes, which are very popular in Singapore, and taught to all ages in the Community Centres in every area.
I asked AI for advice on falling.
Minimize the impact and protect vital areas of your body using specific physical techniques:
Protect your head: Tuck your chin firmly into your chest immediately to prevent your head from whipping backward and striking the ground. Wrap your arms around your head to shield it from debris or hard surfaces.
Roll with the fall: Avoid keeping your body rigid. Instead, try to curve your back and roll along the fleshy parts of your body (such as your shoulder, hip, and thigh) to distribute the impact over a larger surface area rather than a single point.
Avoid breaking falls with straight arms: Never extend your arms stiffly. Also don't lock your elbows to catch yourself, as this often results in wrist breaks and hairline cracks, dislocated shoulders, or broken collarbones. If your hands must hit the ground, keep your elbows slightly bent.
Fall sideways if possible: If you feel yourself losing your balance backward or forward, try to twist and land on your side. Landing flat on your back can knock the wind out of you or injure your spine. But falling directly forward risks injuring your face, mouth and teeth area.
Keep joints loose: Allow your knees to remain slightly bent rather than locked straight to help absorb some of the shock.
I asked where Gemini got the information
- Gemini took the essential points from Mayo Clinic on Fall Prevention, and Medical Guardian on How to Fall Safely. Gemini rewrote the information without technical terms, without long words such as velocity. Gemini also left out advice on clothing and furniture. I have further edited Gemini's text into simpler, everyday language, leaving out such terms as kinetic energy, trauma, dental, while, fractures. This helps me to grasp the facts at a glance, as well as helping all my readers in countries such as Singapore, whose location is listed in my blogger's Google analytics pages.
