Skies above deliver a memory of vastness where the oceans’ mighty waves clash into ship-bellies floating ashore. They’re heading towards the harbour of cities that never sleep. Night or day,
the chatter of people spilling into colourful street lights, and the rims of pretty dresses worn by mannequins twinkle with the flash of my imagination as I sit safe and secure behind the walls I built.
Why would one leave her home when in the minds of people rages a war, and you’re hurt – so hurt – from them taking everything that’s yours, heart and soul and breaking it.
I dream of a bird, or a bright-red ladybug crawling from leaf to leaf of the forget-me-nots. So afraid of the rule to stomp every flower in the city – they think that true beauty must never outgrow the size of walls.
But by staying inside my own, am I any different? I fold and bend and suffocate my garden. In growing too high, I’m afraid it can peek beyond the safety into the chaos outside. That over the branches and leaves, over the vines, something vile will climb inside. I shudder at the ladder leaning against stone, it points upwards together with the petals and stalks. Towards the sun, they know I must go. I must make the climb and grow, but am I brave enough?
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This is lovely! Moves effortlessly, too.
The feeling of safety that comes from making one's world small is a powerful one, but it's an illusion. The truth is, that safe space is just as exposed to life's unpredictable changes as the world outside. One is still part of the same connected reality, where a single event—be it a power failure or a shift in the world—can ripple through everyone's life. True safety isn't found in building walls, but in learning to navigate the world as it changes by learning resilience, a skill that can be practiced every day with every thought and action, both of which one can control.