Poem for Flight by Becky Birtha


Thank you to Harriet Tubman and countless pioneers, seen and unseen, who did the work to free themselves in order to help free the minds, hearts, and bodies of others. Thank you to those who helped free my heart. Thank you to my spiritual sister who shared this beautiful and timely poem. 

Poem for Flight by Becky Birtha

There will come a day —
it is not far off now —
when you wake up in the morning and know
you were meant to be happy
and that you want it
more than you want
things, or memories
any concrete place called home
all the strings of the past that fasten you,
more than you want
justice or pride:
your old clay image of yourself
or the faint chance
that all that has gone wrong
may still change.

It is you who hold
the power to change.

And whatever it is that holds you
whatever it is you think you cannot live without
the time has come to open your hands and
let it go.

Run
flee
disappear
break loose
take wing
fly by night
move like a meteor
be gone.

If you fear it will never be possible
think of Harriet
who traveled alone
the first time
who finally freed three hundred people
but first
had to free
herself.

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