Lines

Overwhelmed.

I ran away to find some space,
A clearing beneath blue sky.

An inhale deep into my lungs
The exhale meant to clarify.

Breath. It’s me, myself and I.
Found again in this second to quickly passing by.

Waiting out the rain in solitary confine
A dog, a tent, a peaceable sit inside a hammock.

Covid, isolation, life lived unidentified
Work and life no longer dance together

What is balance?
I have no personal life.

So much time alone
I feel over clarified.

The world changed over night
Time reversed inside out

Like a bear forced to hibernate in summer
I fear hope has lost it’s shine.

A second for a break in a repeat routine like groundhogs day
There is now a place available for me to run away

Find myself again
A sigh, I breath, I am still me

Time runs out of fantasy
Back home I go to face real life

Isolation lessened with a virus breathing
Concern still feels rampant against my desire to just be

Turn on the phone only to find
The world erupted again

Who has a compass?
What direction are we going in?

I see fear raging again
But now it’s mixed with anger

Lines are drawn
Stakes are high

Is it clear what side is a side
No one talks. No one listens

Shouting, fighting
Anger only divides

I feel overwhelmed by feelings
I thought I understood

The language has changed
The terms are new

How to wander through this?
No other side to talk through

What makes good?
What makes bad?

Standing for a reason
Takes discussion and acceptance

Ignorance needs a teacher
Not shame, blame and anger

Standing for one and justice
Suddenly makes a divided side

Does everyone get it
Am I the only one swirling?

Binary terms
Black. White.

I need some grey filled in
Nothing is ever that simple

Justice is an argument
That accounts for all the sides

Slow down the pace
Fill me in

I’d really like to know
Because I honestly thought I did

Its confusing to grasp my priviledge
With the demand that I should already know

Please be kind when drawing the lines
I only want to understand


To walk a mile next to you
Really grasp the bottom line

I know what it is I believe
And what you’re fighting for

1+1 only equals 2
1-1 nets zero

There is no way that justice
Can equate such simple math

The only way to connect 1 and 1
Is a line called empathize

But I need help to know what to do
Because clearly it hasn’t been enough

The world is changing
And indeed it should

I wish everyone would settle down
Just shush enough so I can hear loud enough to listen

To the discussion that needs to happen
So I can understand the action

Swept off my feet in confusion
I want to stand again

To clearly understand the mark I make
While taking my place in line

Affecting change because I choose
No longer ignorant of the fightOverwhelmed.

I ran away to find some space,
A clearing beneath blue sky.

An inhale deep into my lungs
The exhale meant to clarify.

Breath. It’s me, myself and I.
Found again in this second to quickly passing by.

Waiting out the rain in solitary confine
A dog, a tent, a peaceable sit inside a hammock.

Covid, isolation, life lived unidentified
Work and life no longer dance together

What is balance?
I have no personal life.

So much time alone
I feel over clarified.

The world changed over night
Time reversed inside out

Like a bear forced to hibernate in summer
I fear hope has lost it’s shine.

A second for a break in a repeat routine like groundhogs day
There is now a place available for me to run away

Find myself again
A sigh, I breath, I am still me

Time runs out of fantasy
Back home I go to face real life

Isolation lessened with a virus breathing
Concern still feels rampant against my desire to just be

Turn on the phone only to find
The world erupted again

Who has a compass?
What direction are we going in?

I see fear raging again
But now it’s mixed with anger

Lines are drawn
Stakes are high

Is it clear what side is a side
No one talks. No one listens

Shouting, fighting
Anger only divides

I feel overwhelmed by feelings
I thought I understood

The language has changed
The terms are new

How to wander through this?
No other side to talk through

What makes good?
What makes bad?

Standing for a reason
Takes discussion and acceptance

Ignorance needs a teacher
Not shame, blame and anger

Standing for one and justice
Suddenly makes a divided side

Does everyone get it
Am I the only one swirling?

Binary terms
Black. White.

I need some grey filled in
Nothing is ever that simple

Justice is an argument
That accounts for all the sides

Slow down the pace
Fill me in

I’d really like to know
Because I honestly thought I did

Its confusing to grasp my priviledge
With the demand that I should already know

Please be kind when drawing the lines
I only want to understand


To walk a mile next to you
Really grasp the bottom line

I know what it is I believe
And what you’re fighting for

1+1 only equals 2
1-1 nets zero

There is no way that justice
Can equate such simple math

The only way to connect 1 and 1
Is a line called empathize

But I need help to know what to do
Because clearly it hasn’t been enough

The world is changing
And indeed it should

I wish everyone would settle down
Just shush enough so I can hear loud enough to listen

To the discussion that needs to happen
So I can understand the action

Swept off my feet in confusion
I want to stand again

To clearly understand the mark I make
While taking my place in line

Affecting change because I choose
No longer ignorant of the fight