when you call to yourself

disoriented within the forest of trees

branches waving

wondering if you have lost yourself at last

darkness approaching

leaves rustling with who-knows-what

coming

 

in moments like these you do not stop

to politely consider

—no you scream out loud intuitively

from the depths of your very soul

perhaps in whispers nervous at first

then in howls full throated

 

and you call out to yourself

what you truly think of

as your own self-name

 

while you were named at birth

what you name yourself

within those woods

matters

 

in moments and places such as these

what is the name you instinctively choose

 

——we must be careful what we name ourselves since that is who we truly think we are. if things like idiot and looser and stupid are your go-to of habit, then intentionally choose and practice a different name. 

 

Heather Pound 2024

Photo by Sebastian Unrau on Unsplash