Inspiration

so impatient I was  

to enter the world 

arrival unplanned 

mama couldn’t hold me 

isolated 

lungs undeveloped 

machine-aided breaths 

last rites  

somehow 

I survived 

so impatient I was  

to learn of the world 

knowledge unmapped 

teacher couldn’t stop me 

reading alone 

suspended in story 

breathlessly wondering 

how will it end? 

rebellious 

no ceremony 

no home 

somehow 

I survived 

so impatient I was 

to bring life to the world 

lust unrepentant 

preacher couldn’t shame me 

drawn together through hurt 

love brought a son 

improbable gift 

new breath  

mixed with ours 

inspired 

transformed 

determined 

somehow  

we survived 

so impatient I was 

to heal the pain of the world 

my purpose unyielding 

ties couldn’t bind me 

so certain 

I would bend 

our moral arc 

toward Justice 

for all 

peacemaker alone  

yet connected 

somehow 

I survived 

so impatient I am 

to empower others to act 

our children deserving 

fear can’t deter us 

in these times 

of dis-ease and 

distancing 

will we sing? 

will we love? 

will we accept 

our shared humanity 

and breathe new life 

into our shared home? 

we must  

somehow 

survive