Have I been sleeping? How long, my eyes closed
Now blinking, eyes open
Closed. Open. Closed. Open.
Quickly enough and you just might see some stuff
Hidden between the lines
Normally looks rough but under closer examination
There’s illumination of clear lines defined
Diamonds in the rough – “Ruff, ruff!”
The dog barks next to you on the sidewalk
Distracting you from all the stars in the sky – walk!
Keep walking!
Distracting you from all the dreams you had – dream!
Keep dreaming!
Distracting you from all the things you said you would be
Your younger you – how proud of you he should be
But would he? If you saw me in the mirror – your you
Not my “me”, but your “me” – inner you, inner youth
What would you see?
An ignorant, blissful, young fool
Or a sage with wisdom to share – a hug and a kiss and heart full
School yourself but then return to the surface
Because the circus is wrong
Free the elephants, free the tigers
Free the lions inside you
It’s never too late to return to lost promises
And the cost of honest is…honestly sometimes feeling alone
Those quiet dark times when you don’t feel at home
Are the best, or the worst, times for intense growth
And a time for intense thirst
So blanket yourself in silence at times
And burst forth from the chrysalis metamorphed by time
And a sprinkling of metaphysical bylines
Inexplicable high times lay ahead
If our predictable hive mind can make the shift
In due time
See, patience is a virtue
But it may be the most distant purview
Over the edge of the horizon lies a curved view
So linear thinking get us little more than blinking
Eyes open, eyes closed
Minds shrinking
Follow this dream all the way to the awakening
Because all of us can dream incredible things,
But our power is greatest when we do more than say things
Could you describe what the poem means to you?
This poem is about the fleeting nature of enlightenment or empowerment.
So many of us have seen through the haze for a moment, but found that it is too easy to become distracted, to lose hope or to feel impotent.
I wrote this as a reminder to myself to keep on pushing – to reopen my eyes when they become wary, tired and begin to close.
About the author
Whether through performance poetry or hip-hop music, Cujo shares his own journey into self.
He hopes listeners are guided inward and find themselves exploring what it is that truly defines their own journey.
Cujo hosts a monthly open mic, “Spoken Word Nights” at The Tarlton Theatre.
Contact: [email protected]