Too afraid to make a mark
I write my words in pencil
That way, when I get it wrong,
I can quickly erase
My manuscript, my life
Full of empty pages
I never dare pick up a pen
Too afraid I’ll choose the wrong words
And wind up on the wrong path
Instead, I follow the steps others laid out
Never writing my own story

Until one day, gazing up at the stars
My soul lights up as bright as the sun
With a longing I cannot ignore
And a desire to pave my own path
To leave a permanent mark
I grab a pen and sit down to write
Pen to paper I write the first word
And suddenly the light go out
Left in total darkness
Unsure of anything anymore
I freeze in place
Yet time keeps on moving,
I feel I’m wasting it away

This life is hard and beautiful and messy
And too short to live in fear
So I look up at the sky again
Hoping to find the light
But that’s when it occurs to me
I’m looking outside for what lies within
And so I turn my gaze inside myself
Searching my soul, I find a small flame
And fan it into a blazing fire
I sit down again to my manuscript
Determined to fill those pages
Solely with words from deep inside my soul