A Glimpse Beyond

I've been writing a lot of poetry lately between bouts of scriptwriting. I find that my mind swims in images and phrases--and poetry is a perfect, gem-like container to hold them.

Here's one I wrote that I hope gives some comfort to the world weary, the battered of spirit, the hopeful. So often, we subject ourselves to the tortures of the damned and forget the miracle of this moment.

A Glimpse Beyond

What if,

for one chameleon blink,

one shining nanosecond,

you believed that you were good enough?

That the world was better for your being here,

That your small, messy life mattered.

What would that be like?

Maybe like touching chinchilla for the first time,

Falling into a softness that transcends words.

Once you taste the metallic tang of truth,

The lie of your nothingness smacks of poison,

You are a miracle

as wondrous as the Grand Canyon,

New York cheesecake,

and Mozart

all rolled into one.

You of the selfishness and unfulfilled potential,

You of the snide comments, procrastination

and dishes in the sink,

You. Imperfect, unlovable you.

If you could glimpse your essence,

You'd erupt in giddy squeals

like a baby playing peekaboo.

Until that day, creep into the dark shed

out beyond your heart,

The one where the cutting tools are kept,

And hunker down for an ugly cry,

Cry for the wasted years,

the dreams deferred,

the squandered chances,

the loves lost.

Then let the tears come for the gifts,

A tangerine moon at sunset,

The milky, sweet smell of a newborn,

Your best friend's laugh,

Weep for the infinite worlds of possibility that

still exist in you and for you.

Lean into the knowledge that

you matter.

Despite all evidence to the contrary,

You matter.