Letting Go

There was so much
you had to let go of
to get to this place,
this intersection
of what you do
and who you are-

dreams that weren’t really your own,
worn out beliefs,
old habits of thought,
standards of success
that didn’t make sense to you.

And it wasn’t easy.
It took courage to face
fear of the unknown,
fear of rejection,
fear of failure.

There was guilt
and there was grief,
but each time you let go
there was such relief.

Unburdened,
you could follow your longing,
that quiet call
of self.

By Maria Brady-Smith