Where You Long To Be

Do you listen to my poem
Of rapture
And love
And think me naive?

But have you heard
How much
and far
I have been torn apart!?

Maturity is not marked
In smart, cynical
Remarks
In disdain
Or hardness..

I am not vain,
I crawled across hot coals
And travelled endlessly
Scoured out my insides
To stop hating myself
And find peace

I am not sheltered
I have known pain
The secret is that those who have suffered most
Can feel the most release

Don't cling to the shroud of your melancholy
Keep it as a souvenir on your shelf
Don't let it dampen your enjoyment
Keep it small
Just a token
To recall
That this is all scared and fleeting
Let your feelings be spoken
Or they will pass away
Never throw away
The preciousness of a day

Some are high, some are gray
Some are like reggae
Some blues
Pay your dues
And then stop paying
Always keep playing

And don't think yourself
Ever to be above falling in love

It's not the weak who love fully
But the strong..
The flimsy turn their backs and run
The brave stand and face the wave
And let the deluge swallow and transform
Transcend
Mere physical form

You are better than your spiteful jealousy
Don't let your words savor of such bitter wounds
Why do you lash out at those who have gone
Where you long to be??

Don't shoot the messenger
Stop whining
Stop letting scars be defining
And walk
Somewhere
Any direction
Away from where it's misery to be
As long as it's not toxic
And it somehow sets you free
any direction may take you
Where you long to be