desiderata

path

she's there, lurking,
hidden by a book,
or ushered in by a flash.
she's watching
and listening.
she knows the news
before it's even happened.

always,
"yearbook staff,
could I get a word?"
"I'm the editor,
not 'camera girl' "
"don't flinch,
that's just the flash!"

or,
"geothermal energy is
particularly abundant
around tectonics."
"math isn't supposed to
have letters!"
"how is running a mile
in this weather
teaching me anything?"

most often, she's there,
but rarely seen.
just a pair of glasses
perched under bushy
strawberry curls.
slightly above average height,
stands, and attracts a crowd,
speaks, and commands attention.
she walks like she's on a
set path,
with things to see,
and a world to accomplish.

she seems to be
at the top regularly,
internationally ranked
history student,
leading first soprano,
yearbook editor extraordinaire,
honors student,
a gifted writer,
mathlete, science whiz,
she's always doing something.

she's got high hopes,
and even higher expectations.
graduate school, go to college,
major in photojournalism,
minor in world history.
find a job at some big publication,
travel the world,
record the people,
write their stories.
remain humble, but still stay proud.

that's the path that's been
crafted to her very specific
standards of perfection.
but under the surface,
she's constantly ready to
b r e a k,
and forget to come up for air.
her biggest judge,
her harshest bully.
has always remained internal.

perhaps one day,
she'll be recognized,
look around,
and realize she leapt
without first looking.