A List of Things

by DaringToDance

February 7, 2020

When the highs and lows

Of their voices

Reach my ear,

I feel like making music

Like that which

I find so dear.

When she tells me

I'm still special

and holds me tight,

I think I should

Listen to mom

And believe in all my might.

Yes, I got jealous once

When I heard

How great you are

And I'm still mad

I can't get over you

Because of how high you set the bar.

But all these things I hold close to my heart

They push me,

And toss me,

And pull me,

But they do it so I can do great things with them.

Like my great grandmother

Who was 90

Before she did things worthwhile

And showed me that

It's okay if it takes a long time

To go the extra mile,

Or my dad

Sensing fear in my person

Helping me see

That this is not the end

Of my journey, no,

It's just the beginning,

Or sometimes it's just

Those pictures

That move across the screen.

They make me think

And realize

There's more than the eye meets.

Like those Freedom Writers

Who have feelings

When the world thinks they're just trouble

Or A Girl Like Her

Who shows those who seem the most evil of all

Are really just puzzled.

These things I hold close to my heart

They push me,

And toss me,

And pull me,

But they do it so I can do great things with them.

Like those dots in the sky

Against a black canvas

Showing me hope and wonder

Past and future

Helping me to remember

The bigger picture,

Or just the stillness

Just the quiet

And the calm that there is

When the sun first comes up

And it's just a little bit dark.

I'm in awe of the beauty of this.

Or when I'm immersed in liquid blue

And I hear a soft plop

And my hair has a flow

And the water rushes all around me.

It's the new air I breathe

These adventures in the great deep below,

And the color blue reminds me

Of the maiden Cinderella

They all say is passive

But her strength is

Her hope, her kindness

How it's massive,

Or the daughter who said

Promsies mean soemthing

And gave her life

Gave her dreams

Gave her soul

And held no strife,

And Abigail, and Esther,

And Ruth, and Jael

All giving their lives in bravery

And Miriam, and Deborah

And Sarah, and Rebekah, and Hannah.

All amazing women precious as ivory

And this God

Who for some unknowable reason

Forgives me

And sees in me

That which I cannot see.

Just for that I believe.

These things I hold close to my heart

They push me,

And toss me,

And pull me,

But they do it so I can do great things with them.

I want to say more

Because the list

Is a lot longer.

I want to talk about the kids

Who help me remember

To stay children.

I want to tell you of the people

I see who show me

To work a hundred times a million.

I want to tell you the music I hear

And how my heart jumps

And my voice sings

I want to tell you the books I read

They spark my mind

And give it wings.

I struggled a lot <br/>

With what to say.

How can I narrow it down to one

Just one

Only one

When I can do this all day?

I want to say more

Because the list

Is a lot longer.

But here is my short,

Very short,

Extremely short list

Of the things I hold close to my heart

That push me,

And toss me,

And pull me,

But do it so I can do great things with them.

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