Turning Point Poem by Suzanne Hayasaki

I declare myself free
Of destiny,
Of what must be will be,
And of the history
Which I took in as a child
Wide-eyed and guileless.

From today I will no longer listen
To the voices in my head
Insisting that there is but one road to tread
To fulfill some potential I was burdened with at birth.

The stories I heard were dramatic.
The heroes I admired were just that
Actors in some creative's mind
That caught their audience
And lived and lived and lived
Evolving far beyond their beginnings.

So I will live on my tiny terms,
Not worrying about my next steps,
Pleased to be me, as I am,
Uninspiring, sometimes uninspired.

And I will find my own kind of happiness
In little things, like presents from friends,
Kind words from my neighbors,
Smiles from strangers
And those moments when the sun sneaks through the clouds
And lights up the mountains in the distance
Like some sign that beauty reigns
Somewhere just beyond our awareness.