Never Your Future

Your fingertips spread methodically

Like the wave of a fan.

Joints stretch and bones lengthen

To close the distance

As you reach

Your long awaited goal.

Eyes closed,

Anticipation meeting your fingertips.

And there it is—

The star.

Your finger tips

And then your palm

Wrap tightly around

The brilliantly glowing star.

And you make a

Wish. But nothing happens.

You wait. Patiently.

But nothing happens.

Perplexed—you release

Your grasp.

And you watch--

As your life’s goal

Floats away.

You’ve been told

Every moment,

Of every day,

To reach,

Reach for those stars.

Because maybe

Just maybe,

You will come in contact

With one. And your dreams

Will come true.

But why would you

Reach so far,

So far outside of yourself

To try and become

Something you're not,

Something you’ll never truly be?

Your fierce disbelief sits

On the tip of your nose,

Astutely smiling at the answer

You already know.

You never truly needed to

Clutch the star.

You never truly needed to

Make a wish.

You never truly needed the

Star to permit your success.

All you truly needed was

You.