For a moment,
I considered change—
a flicker of curiosity
pressed against my borders.
But the tired two-step is easier
than learning a new waltz.
Five decades have taught me
to hold familiar hands,
to hum old songs
in a voice steady with habit.
We build walls around ideas here.
I’ve heard the whispers,
felt their pull—
something loose, unformed,
waiting to take shape.
Maybe someday.
But for now,
I keep spinning,
tracing the same worn paces,
letting the dust settle
where it always has.
This poem first appeared in Texas Poetry Assignment, Issue # 78, “Texas Speaks.” Many thanks to Laurence Musgrove for his acceptance and encouragement. I highly recommend exploring his works, especially The Bluebonnet Sutras, available here. Don’t miss the remarkable poets featured at Texas Poetry Assignment.
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