I move dirt around trying to cover my mistakes. There's never enough. 
Yet I dig! 
Persistent! My feet planted deeper and deeper 
until my sole surrounding: soil. 
Slowly eroding, exposing my errors once again. 
I can't rise above them unless I stack them; stepping stones of blunder. 
This, my only path for escape, displaying deviations 
and scars from my detours. 
Climbing though, my focus can alter from what I leave 
below me to the threads of hope that greet me in the open air. 
This unfurls only after acknowledgement. 
Only after anger is abandoned. 
Only after regret rest in the residue of the treads I leave behind me. 
Not hidden, but absorbed into the dirt.


B. Toner September 2024

Sometimes I feel I need to take more risks. Living a life of privilege; however, muddies my interpretation of peril. Dipping my toe into the pool most likely won’t bring on the frostbite that I imagine. Life and limb stakes rarely come into play when I venture to the wild side. On the contrary, my luxuries nurture minor inconveniences into overgrown monsters that no longer fit under my queen-size bed.

Perhaps daring myself in a measured way may be all I can muster. It’s a tough life, but I’ll bravely chance it.

Running with Scissors

I'm going to do it! Throw caution lightly aside. 
Run with scissors! Let the rules slightly slide.
Going to live life on the softened edge.
Use only light sunscreen, delay any pledge.
Undaunted, I'll swim after a vegan feast.
Rip all tags from my mattress, leave not one in the least.
Won't say excuse me when my burb is unsquashed.
Throw light in with the dark,
No separate loads when I wash.
Keep all my library books way past the due date.
Ignore the fine print. Leave it all up to fate.
Dare the barista to leave out the cream.
No umbrella, no flossing, just the dangerous dream!
Park front-first and take up double the space.
Drink straight from the hose, with a filter in place.
Face some challenges and seize half the day.
Sacrifice a little for a pilgrimage in my way.

B. Toner September 2024