Mile after mile of
Abject gloom,
Not a glimpse of
Sunshine.
They keep walking,
Knowing they will
One day arrive.
An unwelcome presence insinuated itself
Into an otherwise happy life, sat
Down without asking, made itself
Comfortable though uninvited.
It demanded constant attention and
Care, devoured focus and energy,
Diverted thoughts and disarranged
Routine without caring a whit.
In a moment of inspiration, eyes closed,
Imagination expunged it from the picture,
Life lived without glancing in its
Direction as it showed itself out.
Young woman wakes up,
Looks out the window,
Magnificent tangle of
Buildings reaches for the sky.
Fixes something to eat,
Gets ready and walks outside,
World of promise and
Possibility.
Smiles contentedly
This exuberant day,
She can do whatever she wants,
Her true self shining.
Unhampered by back room
Handshakes, byzantine schemes
Hatched by broken
Hoarding malcontents.
Marching
Together.
Sharing a
Hopeful vision
Of a time when
People will love
One another because
They are all
Basically the same,
Rather than hating
Each other for
Insignificant reasons.
The coming together
Of all people,
For all people,
Unity over divisiveness.
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.
She endured
So many years
Isolated from
Others, living
An anonymous life
Where no one knew
About her loves,
Her joys, her talents,
Her aspirations.
A single trip to
A distant city
Opens her eyes,
Her heart,
Her ambition to
Live, love, thrive
Out in the light,
Leaving the darkness
Far behind.
Faced with
Impossible
Choices,
They make
One that
They hope
Will be the
Least painful.
Sometimes there
Isn’t an easy answer,
But there is
An opportunity to
Hopefully draw upon
An inner sense
Of decency and
Compassion.
Picking up his
Fragile body from
The side of the road
Because nobody else will.
Wishing everyone had
Someone to recognize
His incalculable value,
How much he matters.
Open your mind, open your heart.
Open the door to places uncontemplated.
Shed assumptions about a
World of fear. Thrive, flourish,
Nourished by courage and hope.
Cling to future rather than past.
Heal ingrained, untended wounds.
Move forward into the light.
