THE CENTER OF THE WORLD

When I was small
I often felt quite small

so I'd climb a nearby hill

and at the top
I'd survey all below me
and imagine I was standing
at The Center of the World.

At such moments
I’d vow to myself:
one day I’ll be at the top
and all those people 
will look up at me
and finally see my light.

Alas, as an adult 
I’ve failed to realize
that dizzy ambition.
But though my ego is finally willing
to accept defeat
forces within keep driving me.

So I still feel frustrated.

But I’ve found a way to find relief:
I return to that hill of my childhood.   

However, now
when I climb to the top 
I don’t wish to inflate—
no, I go for perspective

because when I gaze down 
at our human life below
the game called “success”
can seem so small.

But if I then begin
to feel above it all
I’ll tell myself:
yeah, you’re at 
The Center of the World

but so is everyone else on this planet.

The Center of the World

Recorded on September 18, 2017, for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. www.poets.org

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I claim to be a novelist, poet, essayist, cartoonist, graphic artist, peace monger--and I'm trying to be a world citizen. As for my backstory...let's just say I've lived and worked all over the United States.  I'm self-taught, for the most part, which is like stumbling around blindfolded while looking for the right door.  It's an on-going process. Lacking any true musical ability, I try to make music with language, while also making meaning.  

The Center of the World

mythsteps

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