with gratitude
Tell me how to be brave in this world,
how to stare into the eyes of monsters
crawling in shadows, how to wrap
my fingers into my palm, raise it like
a beacon light under bridges and over
highways. Some days, when it rains,
when temperatures drop, when wind
howls, I think of you standing in the midst
of it all, reminds me how much I can do
however small. Today, I can be a little
more brave, share a little more weight,
lift up and keep going like you said.
A friend told me inspiration is a tough
occupation and I didn’t even want to write
this poem because this is hard
stringing words together to make it look
easy like holding a sign to fight racism
makes it look easy but ain’t nothing easy
about showing up on the most uninspired
days, them tired days, them grieving days,
standing while the beast of this life
breathes hot air in your face, mouth wide
teeth sharp and ready to bite. I want to be
brave in a world that intends to eat me
whole, and I might not know how to be
that all the time, but I have borne witness
to bravery and I don’t mean not ever being
afraid because we ALL are a little scared
sometimes but it is standing there
anyhow
having endured enough to say enough, no
longer looking for light outside
ourselves to chase fear out of the dark but
instead, lighting the whole way afraid
and isn’t that what it means to be brave?
When I walk on these sidewalks,
down by this mural,
over there in that park,
here in this market
over by that building
I’ll see your smile and your sign
When I get on stage, I’ll remember
that quiet way you’d drop in
and dip out to show that you
were here and my friend,
You were here
You were here
You were here
You were here...
Written by D. Colin
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