Haze

The haze descends
Blurring the mangroves
Grey is not grey
White is truly black
And me... a shadow, a wisp of warmth
In an otherwise blustery confusion.

Crossroads come, crossroads go
And still I chug on
Weary, relentless, reaching out
Slush in my shoes
Mud sprayed on my legs
Squelch of life underfoot.

I yearn for the moon
For some light, for the road ahead
But the chapter is coming to a close
And an eternity shall whisk by
Before the next one is begun.

Sometimes I say no
At others I yearn for the familiar
But the life, the lilt is undeniable
I am trudging back the way I came
To that old, familiar self that I once revelled in being.

No metre, no rhyme in my poetry
Simply soul and granite truth
I always was a free bird
And always shall remain
No fetters, no owners, no owned, free, free, free.

The haze turns to dew on tender green leaves
The sun reduces it to water
My eyes drink in the world, the infinite roads
But my heart dictates where to go
My love dictates my outstretched arms
And my strength dictates my life.

And yet... the old fire fights to burn
It will not die out so young
The sky in my eyes, the wind in my hair
The sea on my tongue, a smile on my lips
A caress of my cheek, a laugh in my throat
I'm ready once again
To walk
To cry
To fight
To think
To create
To whisper
To sigh
To share
To dream
To run
To swim
To cheer
To lead
To break
To love
To live

And as the sky fades
And memories cloud the eyes
I wonder if I'm lucky
To own so much love
And to love so much
I wonder if I'm blessed
To be without artifice
I wonder if I'm sane
To be at the crossroads
And let the wind carry me in its wake.