We aren’t the ones
Who placed ourselves
Inside the box
Judgment has done that for us
Solitude can be a balm
And soothe the spirit with quiet
When it is a choice
And a calm reflection
But that solitude can slip
Into isolation
A confinement away
Degrading us into the lesser
It is always simpler
To deal with things
Instead of hearts and minds
And society longs
To see everyone in their proper
Pigeonhole
But a full life
Is not lived
Inside that box
Pale and colorless
Instead it is lived in the messes
And the noise and motion
That leave a mark
In all of the moments
That proclaim
“I am here”
Not hiding amongst
The scenery:
A footnote to the story
That becomes a history
We are all threads
Woven into a rich image
If we stand fast
And refuse to be silenced – Caroline A. Slee