Luminous

I always wanted to be the light

to guide someone's genius —

to shine so bright that

I would spark ideas

that can't come to life without me.

.

I always waited for someone

to come and discover

the dim lantern light inside

the imprisoning cage of my chest—

someone who'd uncover it,

crack it open, lift the lid and

let the light out into the world,

and bring it back to life,

brighter than ever,

through their words, their brush

on a canvas, with the darkness of

a piece of coal against white paper.

.

But no one came,

and no one saved my dying, fading lantern light.

Had no one ever really seen me?

Was there no artist to discover his muse in me?

I guess, not.

Or perhaps...yes.

.

Although, I wanted to be found, to be discovered,

to be truly seen for my shining light,

it was the very thing that terrified me —

and made me hide and dim my glow.

.

When someone would point at me and say,

"Look at her unique, magnificent shine."

I'd laugh it off and hush them away,

"oh no, it's just a game of shadows, cast by

the light of those around me."

.

I could never step up and shout,

this is my light!

And no one came to tell me

to stop lying, to stop

hiding what was obvious.

.

So I dimmed and dimmed

the light of my lantern,

until there was nothing left but a spark,

hoping that one day somebody would come and say,

"This is the spark of a great flame—

let me immortalize it

in my poem, on my canvas and on every written page."

.

But oh! the darkness came,

and I was sitting there, protecting

the last spark of my little flame,

when I realized that I am somebody, too.

.

I can stand up, just like anybody else,

rip my chest open and and say:

"This is the spark of a grandiose flame!"

and set the world on fire.

.

Because I can be the artist I was waiting for.

I can be the muse of my own art.

I can be my own world,

recognize my own guiding light

and capture the essence of my flame

in every letter I carve out with my pen.

.

And even if no one looks at what I made,

I can still stand tall and brave—

because I rescued my own flame,

and now,

my little lantern light

shines

brighter than ever.