Read a poem to an audience
while your voice and hands
shake with fear.

Give that coin
to the homeless man
who will likely buy drugs.

Tell your friend you love her
even as the air shimmers
with awkwardness.

Let the wind blow your hair into a rat’s nest,
the sun burn your skin
and sleepless nights wrinkle your brow.

Live as though
only Love is watching!

The trail is long
and marred with tree roots and sharp rocks,
but you don’t want to tiptoe.

Instead, strike like lightning,
all the power within you
charging the world.

Because what really matters
is the Beloved inside.

When you love that Essence.
And own it!
All else falls in place.

No one will even hear
the tremor in your voice
as you read.

That homeless man may
buy a sandwich
and walk a brighter path.

And your friend just might release
a sparkling tear that softens the heart
of the entire Universe.