Flight

Flight (05.05.2021)

I have not used my wings in a long time.

Stiff, wrinkled things, they do not look divine;

black and shrivelled, they lie dormant down my spine,

but to unfurl them now feels so sublime.

Here once more on the edge of the abyss,

unravelling a story turn by twist;

the early chapters that I have sadly missed.

Could plot history have predicted this?

The road has been long and my soul is sore;

I thought I’d found a place to rest for sure,

but inside lies a coldness absent before.

This heart weight too heavy, I can’t bear more. 

Well, Time is not the only thing that flies.

For too long I’ve let slip the same old lies,

and now the truth burns sun-like into my eyes.

It’s grown too late for further compromise. 

And now I’m summoning the strength to leap.

I’ve sacrificed too much I wished to keep...

I’m weak with overeating and lack of sleep;

I must jump before night begins to creep. 

Letting go of love is the hardest thing,

but my hands itch without that promised ring.

My knuckles shine like pearls as my spirits sing;

Lift into flight, embrace what it might bring. 

Jennifer Pickup