Courage is

Courage is an invisible thread

that twists through

my hidden soul

my secret self

Mostly

courage lies buried

in daily life’s debris

where acquiescence

smoothes the way

The daily decisions

choosing

this bread

or that apple

in the end

make no difference

in my life

to my dreams

Yet

Earth’s destiny

asserts

its disagreement

uninvited

unacknowledged

Who am I

to argue with Nature

I am a member

of a tribe

too large to contain

too diverse to control

too selfish to share

I pray hope

when

all else fails

Courage is a bitter brew

more frightening

than addictive

I am a member

of a tribe

that judges the price

too large

when I am the one

chosen to pay

This tribe

has devised

veils

creating heroes

everywhere

everyday

to mask

the flight of courage

from the everyday

everywhere

If it’s posted

printed

published

If it’s spoken

sung

and shared

Surely that is

proof

positive

and true

that courage

still lives on

Courage is

communion

most sacred

When open

to all

naked of

rubrics

most powerful

Courage is

the communion

that lifts

the hidden thread

in the body politic

to be warp

and woof

of a people

of a community

of a nation

of the world

Courage is

the secret self

reaching for

its family

Lelanda Lee, 1-25-17