In chasing perfection, we all fall short

Grasping and reaching, muscles stretched & aching thin

Looking up, to a God, looking down at our feet

Searching for that which lies within

The heart at rest is happy

No sadness or pain spilling over the brim

But when tears stain the onion skin pages of our days

Poetry provides release on a whim

I write to have life's questions answered

When the spoken word does not suffice

I write something once to free myself from chattle

And to believe that I'm free, write it twice

I write when emotion swells within me

Waterlogged words of wisdom in ink

Bleeding into a moleskin, full of doubt

I write when I've forgotten how to think

An idea burns warm, and dimly in my mind

On paper shows through bright and clear

Believing that I'm worth more than a lack of confidence

When my words meet the page, I have no fear

I write to advance through my education

I write to compose true beauty

I write because a pen makes love tangible

I write because it's my God-given duty

I write to explain my life choices,

And stories of turmoil and joy I weave,

I write to externalize the power within me

I write, because to see inner beauty is to believe.