Never posture
never pretend 
be ever
your promise 
know you 
before others 
word before 
marching drums 
dance and 
defy always 
celebrate you 
be humble 
yet determined 
quietly confident 
wins battles 
and wars
let others 
be arrogant 
and show 
their weakness 
for pomp 
cripples in
the eyes 
of those 
meant to 
rally round 

When you do 
and not before 
the Universe shifts 
like a front 
it comes quietly 
yet affects everything 
change brings chill
to even despair 
so start alone 
resolve at ready 
attuned to new 
watch what happens 
as your new 
life slowly unfolds 
it’s absolutely beautiful 

I am perplexed 
as a child 
I was filled 
with awe and 
wonder but now 
at this age 
skepticism and fear
how does life 
turn how does 
curiosity curdle or
wilt rarely ever 
to blossom again 
is it things
is it hurt
or is it 
that the downward 
slope is always 
the slipperiest and 
the uphill climb 
the most daunting 

And today I’m 
as light as
the dust left
behind by a
moths delicate wings
no impression just 
a dry mist 
of a once 
soft quiet landing 
nary a sound 
the same as
those of angels 

I no longer 
miss or long
for some things 
lost are gone 
the place that 
they held filled 
forever by someone 
or anything else 
we do that 
you know find
fill or cover 
lest we forget 
and fall again 
back into the 
very hole of 
our own making 
crawling out once 
is bad enough 
for most people 
it is me