Spur a movement

This is a continuation of what came before

And a prelude to what the author has in store

If he’s given a tomorrow to add to today

And make tangible the dreams from yesterday

It’s time to unwrap the present and make it take a stand

For this is no time for the deliberations of past commands

So, let’s get to the point of this pen to paper caper

Let’s formulate an action plan into a navigational state

And let not all these words agitate over an unsure fate

So, cut me loose from this form fitting noose

Let the content jump to the front from the caboose

I cannot but fall short of perfection,

This is but a pursuit in expression and experiment in sharing

So, what do I want to say now that I might have your attention?

I don’t want to be a leader, but I want to spur a movement

One that garners strength out of supposed weaknesses

One that empowers an oppressed mentality

And exposes the true cowardice of the bully

I’m not a hero, a virtuous sage, or a martyr,

Not at this stage in any case

But I have been an observer taking detailed notes

I have travelled through the darkness of ‘mental illness,’

And seen the light that can only be viewed through experience,

That makes me question the labels too easily assigned

I have faced bullying in part of my youth,

Tinged with racism I didn’t recognize at the time

Combined with wanting to belong to that same group

In an unhealthy cycle of cruelty mixed with a kind veneer

I have left that distant sphere,

And whatever remnants remain is just part of life’s deal

I feel almost compelled to write, and at times it’s been more like channeling

Though whoever we are, we need to match words with deeds

Can the poet ever establish credibility unless he remains on the battlefield?

Whether that be fighting, volunteering, or dedicating oneself to a worthy goal

And could my worthy goal be sharing my journey with others?

And combating stigmatized subjects at the risk of being judged this way or that

Perhaps, but I don’t want to be a leader,

I want to spur a movement that may already exist in some form

And if you’ve read this to the end,

Maybe just by a shift of thinking you’re already onboard