Be courteous, my mother warned
Because shambles of Saturday
Aren't easy to repair
Through the artful dances of my fantasies
I am living vicariously
Underwater
And undiscovered

Be brave, my father demanded
Tiptoes and timpanis
Can cause the same commotion
Bury your darkness under layers of light
So you can shine endlessly
Brilliantly
Yet ominously

Be yourself, my dreams reminded
These barriers around me
Have broken fingernails
For refugees have scratched and clawed
While I remain watching
Awestruck
And still in pieces