A New Thought

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Sometimes, as we grow, what we build starts to be confining. This poem speaks to my own experience of this.

A New Thought

After so many years, I was surprised

that the self I built in order to survive

was only a tent that had no roof. And

finally looking up, I learned from the

stars how to stay in place and whisper my

light. And loosening my grip, I found the

things I held, that I thought would protect,

had grown so heavy, I had to put them down.

My beliefs had rusted into a sword too dull

to cut anything. And my secrets had blossom-

ed and withered inside my little hand. So I

took the beliefs turned weapons apart, and

washed the dead secrets from my heart.

After so much work to keep things out,

it scared me to realize—there was no

opening to my tent. And so with love,

this very day, I rip a hole in my

oldest self, so I can get out and

drink of the world.

A Question to Walk With: Describe something you’ve built—a dream, a relationship, a career—that in time become too confining. How did you work with this?