brief moments spent
whispering and tiptoeing
because i've been told
that my voice is too loud
and my weight is too much
for the earth to handle.
brief moments that sum up to
time taken from this:
stomping my feet
               to remind my body of its existence
raising my voice
               because fear withers my vocal cords otherwise
digging my hands
               into the gracefulness of the sky and ocean and
               everything in between.