There once was a dragon
Who lost her identity
Being caged with too many names
She found her true nature
When she remembered her fire
And warmed herself with her flames
She had such strength in fury
Such gentleness in beauty
But it never felt quite enough
Because as she felt herself grow
Her cage also grow bigger
But the door always remained shut
Though she could melt the bars
Burst forth from her prison
And finally set herself free
She grew fearful of all
That may be waiting outside
And all she could possibly be

The future is always unknown.
Every twist. Every turn.
Capable of striking fear of what may be waiting.
What if the road ends? Where will I find myself?
What if I’ve gone too far to remember the way home?
But every present moment is a step toward an uncertain future.
Each decision. Each breathe. Each word.
Leading us somewhere we aren’t sure we’re prepared for.
And we never could or ever will be.
We only have this moment. Right now.
We have time to err. Time to explore.
Time to see what is without the fear of what might be.
Waiting never made clear an uncertain path.
It only gives us doubt of every direction.
Forging a future doesn’t always carve a straight road.
But the journey of the here and now.
The immediacy of the life we can see.
That makes the living worth while.

signal fires
blazing beacons
communicating truth
unexpected and awaited
wordless stories
burning bright
undeniable intent
blazes of light
set against pitch black
traversing the expanse
fleeting flames
glowing embers
ever-present warmth

It’s exhausting
The running and hiding
The chasing and seeking
Like kids in green fields
With nothing better to do
We know games never truly end
They only start again
And again
And again
In an endless cycle
With no sense of where
It began or ever might finish
Close calls, dodging glances
Following rules and bending them
But never breaking them
Endlessly playing the game
For the sake of playing
Better than nothing
Worse than anything
Determined to be child-like
Following the instructions of others
Disciplined in obeying the rules
Until we aren’t
Or can’t, anymore