I want to say only words
that would make all people agree,
I want to receive only nods
of approval and understanding.
But the Truth is fluid—
a free choice for every person.
I cannot give breath to the
animal of hope in every heart.
But I can teach one,
maybe two,
to stand up straight.
To lay out in the sun
and to rest when tired.
You are free, little one,
to believe.
Let the wind tussle the curls
in your hair and add color
to your blubbering cheeks.
The world is full and never still;
do not try to craft one that is.
Stand out on the edge of the pier, pious
and proud, and instead watch
as millions of existences, nameless
to one another, meet and depart
in the same moment.