--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One hand planted on the top rail, slick…" description: "\"“One hand planted on the top rail, slick from a recent rain, I swung my legs sideways, up and over. Home free. Until my bottom foot clipped the post, a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/a-and-e-kirk-51143_bad-news_one-hand-planted-on-the-top-rail-slick-f_2066727.jpg" --- # One hand planted on the top rail, slick from a recent… ![“One hand planted on the top rail, slick from a recent rain, I swung my legs sideways, up and over. Home free. Until my bottom foot clipped the post, and I spun as if caught in a crocodile’s death roll. Good news? The spongy forest floor cushioned my fall. Bad news? Momentum slammed my torso into a…” quote by A and E Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/a-and-e-kirk-51143_bad-news_one-hand-planted-on-the-top-rail-slick-f_2066727.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/a-and-e-kirk-51143_bad-news_one-hand-planted-on-the-top-rail-slick-f_2066727.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/a-and-e-kirk-51143_bad-news_one-hand-planted-on-the-top-rail-slick-f_2066727.jpg) > ““One hand planted on the top rail, slick from a recent rain, I swung my legs sideways, up and over. Home free. Until my bottom foot clipped the post, and I spun as if caught in a crocodile’s death roll. Good news? The spongy forest floor cushioned my fall. Bad news? Momentum slammed my torso into a tree trunk. Couldn’t breathe. But good news again. I’d rolled under a fat, bushy pine, which, along with the fading twilight, concealed my position. I heard the beast fly overhead in pursuit, taking out a few treetops on its way by. Yeah, that was my plan all along. Man, I’m good. Except my body. It hurt.”” [A and E Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-and-e-kirk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator recounts a daring escape from a predator, highlighting quick thinking, physical agility, and the harsh consequences of a risky maneuver. **In simple terms:** Escaped a predator using agility, but suffered injuries. Key Takeaway Stay alert and plan exits. Themes survival adventure risk resilience Mood thrilling cautionary Type narrative inspirational When to use this quote - outdoor pursuits - emergency situations - high‑risk sports - wildlife encounters Key Concepts quick decision‑making physical endurance Questions to Reflect On - What safety measures could reduce such danger? - How do you assess risk before acting? A Different Perspective Physical risk can lead to serious injury. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad news](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-news/) [Cushioned Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cushioned-fall-3969700/) [Forest Floor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forest-floor-678837/) [Good news](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-news/) [Slammed Torso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slammed-torso-3969698/) [Swung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swung-263648/) [Swung Legs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swung-legs-3969699/) ## Related quotes > [“He swung his legs over the side of the bed, waiting to see if the pain would catch up with him before he attempted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hilary/he-swung-his-legs-over-the-side-of-the-bed-waiting-to-see-if-the-pain/) [Sarah Hilary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hilary/) > [“The air was dank and stale. A high breeze danced among the treetops and caused the leaves to chuckle and the branches to groan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-f-falconer/the-air-was-dank-and-stale-a-high-breeze-danced-among-the-treetops/) [L.F. Falconer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-f-falconer/) > [“It was approaching night, the conversation having taken up the better part of a day. Out of the fragile light a fourth perezoso spoke,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lon-otto/it-was-approaching-night-the-conversation-having-taken-up-the-better/) [Lon Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lon-otto/) > [Went looking for faith on the forest floor, and it showed up everywhere. In the sun, and the water, and the falling leaves, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/went-looking-for-faith-on-the-forest-floor-and-it-showed-up/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [“Desiccated leaves spun to the forest floor and crunched beneath our feet like dead memories, reminders that summer was no more. It”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-motz/desiccated-leaves-spun-to-the-forest-floor-and-crunched-beneath-our/) [Christopher Motz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-motz/) > [“I point to the volcanic rock that forms the base of the forest floor, and say that if the trees can grow on such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lotz/i-point-to-the-volcanic-rock-that-forms-the-base-of-the-forest-floor/) [Sarah Lotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lotz/) > [“The cave sits tucked deep within the mass of rocks that sprout like moles from the forest floor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-m-zeiger/the-cave-sits-tucked-deep-within-the-mass-of-rocks-that-sprout-like/) [Jennifer M Zeiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-m-zeiger/) > [“We were in the autumnlands. Dim as it was, the forest glowed. The golden leaves flashing by blazed like sparks caught in the updraft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-rogerson/we-were-in-the-autumnlands-dim-as-it-was-the-forest-glowed-the-golden/) [Margaret Rogerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-rogerson/) > [“Not a squalid den of demons and indecency at the back of a beautiful great house, the mind is a vast and ancient wood,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-restall-orr/not-a-squalid-den-of-demons-and-indecency-at-the-back-of-a-beautiful/) [Emma Restall Orr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-restall-orr/) > [“On the forest floor was the LVR's smoldering ceiling panel, just lying there like the lid of a sardine can that had been eagerly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cuthbert-soup/on-the-forest-floor-was-the-lvr-s-smoldering-ceiling-panel-just-lying/) [Cuthbert Soup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cuthbert-soup/) > [Knowing is a veneer out minds create and lay over the landscape like a painter's drop cloth set upon a forest floor. Its uniformity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-kramer/knowing-is-a-veneer-out-minds-create-and-lay-over-the-landscape-like/) [Greg Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-kramer/) > [“Baby, that damn pendulum has already swung.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deidre-knight/baby-that-damn-pendulum-has-already-swung/) [Deidre Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deidre-knight/) > [I swung from one place to the next, sometimes backward, sometimes forward, capitalizing on my own momentum, knowing that at some point my arms—or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/i-swung-from-one-place-to-the-next-sometimes-backward-sometimes/) [Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/) > [I just swung for the fence. That's my whole philosophy in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-van-zant/i-just-swung-for-the-fence-that-s-my-whole-philosophy-in-life/) [Ronnie Van Zant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-van-zant/) > [“The girl jumped into his arms, and he swung her in an ecstatic, lop-sided circle. The joy of it hit Georgie like a shock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/the-girl-jumped-into-his-arms-and-he-swung-her-in-an-ecstatic-lop/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) ## More by A and E Kirk > [“Wish I could say it was a deviously clever move, but the truth is I’ve got grace management issues.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-and-e-kirk/wish-i-could-say-it-was-a-deviously-clever-move-but-the-truth-is-i-ve/) [A and E Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-and-e-kirk/) > [“I reached for something to break my fall. The ground obliged.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-and-e-kirk/i-reached-for-something-to-break-my-fall-the-ground-obliged/) [A and E Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-and-e-kirk/) > [“Ayden strolled up and nonchalantly tossed me the keys. I caught them with ease. Nah, I dropped them. Okay, technically I didn’t drop them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-and-e-kirk/ayden-strolled-up-and-nonchalantly-tossed-me-the-keys-i-caught-them/) [A and E Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-and-e-kirk/) > [“Smite me? You think you can smite me? Do you even know what that means? I shrugged. "What do you think it means?" I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-and-e-kirk/smite-me-you-think-you-can-smite-me-do-you-even-know-what-that-means/) [A and E Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-and-e-kirk/) > [“I launched into a graceful ninja-like front roll, then stood my ground to face the monstrous heathen, fearless in my determination to vanquish the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-and-e-kirk/i-launched-into-a-graceful-ninja-like-front-roll-then-stood-my-ground/) [A and E Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-and-e-kirk/) > [“It would probably strip my flesh while giving me vocabulary lessons. I'd be dead but smarter. How's that for glass half full?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-and-e-kirk/it-would-probably-strip-my-flesh-while-giving-me-vocabulary-lessons-i/) [A and E Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-and-e-kirk/) [Explore all 7 A and E Kirk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-and-e-kirk/) ## More Bad news quotes > [In the wake of such bad news, it was heartening to know that what 'Sense8' stood for meant so much to so many people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-j-smith/in-the-wake-of-such-bad-news-it-was-heartening-to-know-that-what/) [Brian J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-j-smith/) > [“I remember a man, a very lonely man, coming up to me at the end of a reading and looking into my face and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-howe/i-remember-a-man-a-very-lonely-man-coming-up-to-me-at-the-end-of-a/) [Marie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-howe/) > [In the business world, bad news is usually good news - for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/in-the-business-world-bad-news-is-usually-good-news-for-somebody-else/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [You never want to have to give your child bad news of any kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/you-never-want-to-have-to-give-your-child-bad-news-of-any-kind/) [Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/) > [If there's one thing you should know about me it's that I'm utterly unsuited for bureaucracy. I don't know my passwords to anything. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-torres/if-there-s-one-thing-you-should-know-about-me-it-s-that-i-m-utterly/) [Julio Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-torres/) > [I seem to thrive by destroying the last thing I did, in a kind of cartoon Nietzsche way. Emerson says in "Experience" something like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chiasson/i-seem-to-thrive-by-destroying-the-last-thing-i-did-in-a-kind-of/) [Dan Chiasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chiasson/) > [“The bad news is that, measured in terms of geologic time, if the Earth’s history is an accurate guide, glaciers will soon return to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bernstein/the-bad-news-is-that-measured-in-terms-of-geologic-time-if-the-earth/) [Andrew Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bernstein/) > [I love an underdog. No, I don't necessarily mean the cartoon. I mean like David, as in Goliath, or the Bears, as in The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lublin/i-love-an-underdog-no-i-don-t-necessarily-mean-the-cartoon-i-mean/) [Nancy Lublin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-lublin/) > [The good news is that economists are intelligent, engaging and often charming folks. The bad news is their work is often of little use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/the-good-news-is-that-economists-are-intelligent-engaging-and-often/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [The flatter the corporate hierarchy, the more likely it is that employees will communicate bad news and act upon it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-flatter-the-corporate-hierarchy-the-more-likely-it-is-that/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [The good news may be that Nature is phasing out the white man, but the bad news is that's who She thinks we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-good-news-may-be-that-nature-is-phasing-out-the-white-man-but-the/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [For a long period of time, the media covered rap music and hip hop the same way they cover a lot of black people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-d/for-a-long-period-of-time-the-media-covered-rap-music-and-hip-hop-the/) [Chuck D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-d/) > [“Shifting from a superior/inferior paradigm to a strength-in-difference paradigm was kind of a good news/bad news situation. On the downside, I had to admit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debby-irving/shifting-from-a-superior-inferior-paradigm-to-a-strength-in/) [Debby Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debby-irving/) > [“The best way to mess with the head of your reader is to strategize the delivery of bad news.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/the-best-way-to-mess-with-the-head-of-your-reader-is-to-strategize/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [“The real secret, though, is that nobody belongs, whether they are natives or not. After expulsion from paradise all humans are in exile. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-codrescu/the-real-secret-though-is-that-nobody-belongs-whether-they-are/) [Andrei Codrescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-codrescu/) [Browse all 691 Bad news quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-news/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“One hand planted on the top rail, slick from a recent rain, I swung my legs sideways, up and over. Home free. Until my bottom foot clipped the post, and I spun as if caught in a crocodile’s death roll. Good news? The spongy forest floor cushioned my fall. Bad news? Momentum slammed my torso into a tree trunk. Couldn’t breathe. But good news again. I’d rolled under a fat, bushy pine, which, along with the fading twilight, concealed my position. I heard the beast fly overhead in pursuit, taking out a few treetops on its way by. Yeah, that was my plan all along. Man, I’m good. Except my body. 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