Nobody liked her,
Or better yet,
Everybody feared her.
She was the one
Who spoke the truth
At inopportune times.
They had no use for
Someone who didn’t live
In perpetual unawareness.
She would move from
Town to town,
Being herself.
In each place,
Nobody knew what to
Make of her.
Along the way,
Some people understood
And welcomed her.
A moment suspended,
She stares across the
Crowded room and begins a
Reassessment of everything
That has led to this moment:
Soaring triumphs,
Searing failures,
The story of what has
Come before and what it
Might mean for her future,
The realization that she
Wasn’t always awake
When it all happened.
Dreams eclipsed,
Traditional currents
Scrubbing everything a
Pale shade of average.
Arms resting on the
Windowsill, she sees
Far-away places where
Birds fly freely.
At some point it
Becomes an exercise in
Trying not to become jaded,
To avoid thinking that she’s
Seen it all or knows what’s
Happening before she
Takes it in, moving gingerly
To maintain her humanity,
Some connection to what
Really means something.
Saying the things that
Need to be said but are
Kept locked away as if
It diminishes their import.
They talk in a new way,
Leaving behind the secrets
And discomfort that
Choke off reality.
Possibilities unfurl,
A path hidden under the
Overgrowth, a new
Existence revealed.
Fight like your
Life depends on it.
Shout until your
Throat is raw.
Spread the truth
Until it’s unavoidable.
Make kindness and
Compassion the norm.
Dare to believe the
World can be better.
You are
The light.
Not knowing
What to do next but
Forging forth
Without hesitation,
Leaving space for
Anything that might
Come along,
Welcoming everything,
No arbitrary constraints,
All things possible.
Unlimited possibilities,
Open to anything,
Embracing uncertainty,
Boundless excitement,
A planet charting
Its own course.
Just as it seemed impossible that
Something else would happen,
It did. Not wholly unexpected but
Entirely unwelcome, it quickly
Altered everything. Nobody was
Sure what to do but for a lone
Clarion, valiant, triumphant,
Unflappable, ignored by most for
More familiar, mundane hand
Wringing and lamentation.
