In the line “аnd stаnd pоised reаdy tо plunge headfirst”, pоised means:
Instructiоns Fоr Exаm Pаrt Twо Reаd the peom "Cooks Brook" by Al Pittman that is pasted below and then answer the following questions. Cooks Brook By Al Pittman At the pool where we used to swimIn Cooks BrookNot everyone had guts enoughTo dive from the top ledgeNot that it would have beenA difficult diveExcept for the shelf of rockThat lay two feet below the surfaceAnd reached quarter of the way outInto the width of the pool One by one the brave few of usWould climb the cliff to the ledgeAnd stand poisedReady to plunge headfirstInto the dark water belowAnd always there was that moment of terrorWhen you’d doubt that you couldClear the shelfKnowing full well It would be better to dieSkull smashed open in the waterThan it would be to climbBackwards down to the beachSo always there was that momentWhen you prayed for wingsThen sailed arms outspread into the buoyant* air *buoyant – cheerful, excitingWhat you feel is somethingImpossible to describeAs the water parts like a wound To engulf youThen closes just as quicklyIn a white scar where you enteredAnd you are surprised alwaysTo find yourself aliveFollowing the streaks of sunlightThat lead you gasping to the surfaceWhere you make your wayLeisurely to shoreAs though there had been nothing to it As though it was every day of the weekYou daringly defied the demonsWho lived so terriblyIn the haunted hours of your sleep