A Veiled Dawn

Obscurity blankets

the backyard, barely a glimpse

beyond the shed. Blueberry shrubs

drown in the mist.

This is only

a momentary veil. I know

what lies beyond—

I’ve walked these woods,

felt the bark

of the eastern white pines.

But now, I stand, tangled

in a web of thought, unsure

of what waits in the morrow.

They say inaction leads to doubt,

and doubt to fear.

A doe, timid, breaks

my silence, peeking

through the fog. She grazes

where her sight once held her back,

the grass, always greener.

We can either wallow

in confusion, grapple

with life’s chaos, or rise

and shatter the barriers

that hold us back.

I, too, will rise,

determination in my chest,

find the courage to know

myself again, and walk

toward where I belong.