When pride doth rear its vile head
And flesh and bones it beguiles,
The black guilt pierces me, near dead
Then nothing, nothing do I feel.
Pride devouring me, and I it in return
Lapping at its bitter milk like a dog
Until that day when I then do burn.

I leapt as far as I dare not
To do naught but prove wrong or right
Yet knowing not if what I sought  
Was truly the truth I ought to fight;
Who can know what really exists
Without that tug that so insists?
If there be such a like as doubt
There must be grains of faith about.

Without faith, there be doubt, but with,
There must be some belief inside.
Standing here, looking down the cliff
Walls, eyeing this gap so mightily wide,
On two feet must I stand, so sure;
As tall as the mustard seed did spur
So filled with courage and little pride –
Weight that sinketh, not make me glide

No lies can I then tell or then
Shall I fall – or not even step.
Courage must I have the day when
I try; no burdens then to schlep.
But try I must, for what indeed
Is life without our soul’s life’s need
For adventure and risk. Oh! How
Hard, though, to take the first step now.

No ground under my feet but what’s
Inside my soul; breast pounding hard;
Then mind and heart align; fear cuts
Its tie on me, and fall does my guard
I had so carefully mortared.
Now soars my hope like wizened bird.
Leap, for you cannot know ‘tis faith
Lest fruit of actions so saith.

Not cancer within our bones,
But it’s a cancer of our homes.
It’s a “hierarchy” deemed “alright”
But it’s a battle – a true fight.

It’s a longing for control and
It’s a simple punch, fist, hand
Or not even that. It could be
Lashing words that ignore her plea.

He denies her to her loved ones
For that’s who would step up with guns
Of love, ropes of safety. “Keep quiet,”
She’s told, which is now her best bet.

It’s shame that keeps her in silence.
It’s love that frees her from *violence.

“I appoint you an official member
Of the greatest group (not club, mind you,
For we are better than all that nonsense),”
He said with a proud sniffle, “My good sir,
You are now a Busy Bee of BV.”
He leaned in close to the wide-eyed new boy.
“That’s short for Bumbles Ville – our secret fort.”
He straightened his ratted baseball cap, “See,”
He said with a smack of gum. “It’s not ‘bout
Bees ‘t all.” At this the new boy giggled.
A secret! How clever! “But what’s it ‘bout?”
The little boy asked, his voice squeaking out.
They grabbed a paper scroll marked “OFFICIAL!”
                We keep all secrets
                We may take small bets—
“There’s more notes on that at the bottom of
The page, see, right next to our initials,
‘Cause we couldn’t agree at first, and Jim
Here didn’t know what a bet was, you know.”
He didn’t know, but nodded. Then, “Dinner,”
He said at once, scamp’ring down the tree limb.
“We didn’t tell him what we’s ‘bout,” Jim moaned,
“Took his dog, too.” He glumly bowed his head.

Up, up, up…
       Let’s fly away to a magical land
       We can sing and skip hand in hand
Out, out, out…
       To the space outside
       Let’s watch the receding tide
Laugh, laugh, laugh…
       Look at the singing birds,
       Out here, there need not be words
Spin, spin, spin…
       Let’s dance all the way
       Down the hill this very day
Smile, smile, smile…
       Like the wind, we’re free
       Quick! Out to the tree
Run, run, run…
       Up the hill and down
       My smile never a frown
Play, play, play…
       I can always be good tomorrow
       But today I have my new carved arrow
Down, down, down…*
       Uh-oh. I hear my mother’s voice now.
       It’s time to leave now. Right now.
Coming, Mother!