I, into a place, society born
little variance, tone of skin
pools, pockets, cliques, crowds
ramparts of exclusion, intolerance
learned, misled, misinformed
outright hate
my adolescence spent, wondering
why it, “feels” wrong to find fault in
“difference”
till moving to cosmopolitan locales, distancing
physically, emotionally, intellectually
finding fit, my truth
in midst, diversity

of a generation, I was a part
on dusty street and alley
at play, rules, wants, fears
our own making
dawn till dusk
purest freedom
powers of recall held
joyous moments
or, in wait of, developed film
word of mouth commanded
slow it was, yet less often you heard, “patience”

tick tock
moments, instances, seasons flee
unrecorded, captured or coveted
in a rut, in a funk, on pause
safe and away, from reality’s burden
till wrinkles appear, then
we wonder why
life has forsaken

without thought, restraint
with hope, holding it out
my heart, free to give
scar and blemish it has
imperfections earned
yet still I give, as
my life’s formula for love:
to earn love, one must
sacrifice vulnerability

my path is rocky, scary, imperfect
as it is the one, choosing me
challenging, confronting partitions
made of my own fear, confinement
rare has the course of action
been calculated, scrutinized
as when I’ve stepped, hesitantly
stronger were the walls, in
dead end lanes
aside the fear, to step
forward, did doors open, wide
to sunny locale, with kind people
leading to another truth I’ve accepted:
“feel the fear and do it anyway”

Poems only © 2014 by DC Lessoway