Widen

Widen

She looks closely,
so closely,
trying to find her way in,
                                            out,
                                    around,
                        and through.
When she loses her bearings,
feels adrift,
she knows the importance
of remembering
to raise her gaze
to the horizon,
let her vision
 be less and less
skewed by the lenses
of those who would
 not fully see.
Eventually her eyes refocus,
currents shift,
heart opens even more.
The buzzing energy
of imposed tension
dwindles
 as the fuzzy warmth
of boundless love
widens.
Her shoulders straighten,
breath comes easily,
gaze drifts ever higher.
Eyes to the sky,
she smiles and
widens, too.

Sarah Carlson
November 21, 2020