A Letter

A Letter’s Reply

‘Twixt taming wave and flame I stand,
Upon the salty, sea-swept land.
I look behind, I look before;
I wish I that I could have much more
Than one or other of wave or flame,
But such a split within the same
Riotous soul that burdens me
Would make my life a “What could be?”
And never a “What is.”

I wish to be a “This.”
For all the world around
Is ‘this’ and ‘that’; I’ve found
That even when I want to be
A someone – person – just a ‘me’
If I’m to do all that I can
I must not think “’Tis who I am
That makes me Me.”
The ‘What’ is what I strive to be,
And nevermore the “Who.”

I see the ‘me’ in you
And long for something quite like that.
But you are You, and me is what
I cannot let loose from the cage
(You said ‘lantern’) for ‘tis a mage
Whispering words that frighten me
With promises of what I’d be
If I was just the Me in me.
I cannot let that fantasy
Control my chance to Do.

Perhaps the Dream is true,
And more so than the Quest.
But no, I must not rest,
I must not wait, tarry, delay
As time, like raindrops, slips away.
Perhaps I could have light like you,
Perhaps I could both ‘be’ and ‘do’,
Perhaps I could have harmony
Between the wave and flame in me,
But I’m not sure, and better doubt
The ghost, and doubting, thrust him out
Than risk the chance his touch may break
And each possible mission take.
Alas, this is the war within!
And rather would I perish than
Chase and lose the dream I love.