breathe by Becky Hemsley

I wanted to share one of my favorite poems of all time.

All rights belong to Becky Hemsley, writer and owner of this beautiful piece of Literary art.

Breathe

she sat at the back

and they said she was shy

she led from the front

and they hated her pride

so she walked to the forest

and stood with the trees

she heard the wind whisper

and dance with the leaves

they asked her advice

and then questioned her guidance

they branded her loud

then were shocked by her silence

and she spoke to the willow,

the elm and the pine

and she told then what she'd been told

time after time

when she shared no ambition

they said it was sad

so she told them her dreams

and they said she was mad

she told them she never

felt nearly enough

she was either too little

or far, far too much

they told her theyd listen

then covered their ears

and gave her a hug

whilst they laughed at her fears

too loud or too quiet

too fierce or too weak

too wise or too foolish

too bold or too meek

and she listened to all of it

thinking she should

be the girl they told her to be

best as she could

then she found a small clearing

surrounded by firs

and she stopped and she heard

what the trees said to her

but one day she asked

what was best for herself

instead of trying

to please everyone else

and she sat there for hours

not wanting to leave

for the forest said nothing.

it just let her breathe

Becky Hemsley