It is not enough to sit and ponder
It is not enough to sit and think of a poem or a song
It is not enough to stand and breathe the hot wet summer air
or shiver in the chill of winter
It is not enough to see the stars
and hear the screams
of seagulls high above the horizon
It is not enough to touch
the hand next to my hand
the cheek next to my cheek
It is not enough to let my feet
move me, one after the other
in any direction where
they feel I must go
It is not enough to say my true name,
to look in the mirror and see my true self,
and say to myself:
It is not enough.
(July 16, 2024)