Like A Witch

I have been afraid of burning it all down
To fix my mouth to expel words from my throat to verbalize what I really think
Afraid that I might not be able to control the slipslide of unexpected heartspeak
There is a library of reflections, journals, and essays
You could never guess the abyss of untold stories and
Songs that resound deep down in the chambers of the past
I have been afraid of burning it all down
To petition my Ancestors to course correct the naysayers
Then stand to the side to witness
Knowing the truth will explode on everyone who has ears to listen & eyes to see
By telling you what is really on my heart
To show you the true extent of my power, to use my voice unabashedly
To SHOCK you
Because the power of my tongue and strength of my spirit
Isn’t to be fucked or fooled around with
Neither as the recipient and nor as the practitioner
Like a martial artist sworn to be conscious of their skill
I try to be careful not lash you with my wisdom wand
Or bind you with your own ropes of ignorance and indignation
Or slice you with my energy field
But I am a mortal, I respond, I react, I feel
I know my inexhaustible inspiration and ingenuity can be off-putting
I am overly conscious of my dexterity and long range impact
So I step light, I read the room, I navigate the turns with intention
I wait and observe. I wait and observe. I wait and observe.
I measure, take notes and count carefully to ensure
The recipe of words blended with assertion are correctly chosen
I have been afraid to burn it all down
Of following through on my own thoughts
For fear of leading myself down a wrong path
A path no one else has known, not realizing no one else could
Not just lead me astray but lead me to my destiny
Made of my own mystery and magic
Of speaking without a script
Making sure all words, pauses, laughs and sighs are correctly placed
Without pre-recording
Without notes on inflections and precise octaves
Without first shepherding and collecting each one of my wayward thoughts
Without ordering them in my mind like diligent soldiers
Before I even think to open my mouth
I was afraid to lose you by way of my evolutionary journeys
And in that moment, considered the exchange
Of losing myself, my voice and mind
But my soul remembers, this is how we lose our minds
By giving it away to the matrix of endless cycle of mainstream missions
While hiding my practices for self-preservation or to avoid crucifixion
Like a witch instinctively knowing that
to expose one’s self is to sacrifice one’s livelihood
But the greatest witch is unafraid of death
For she knows her most awesome feat is in transformation
In the alchemy she lives each and every day
Like a witch, I am unafraid of renewal and reinvention
I sharpen my tools and my vision, ready to rise
Again and again and again.