A whisper follows me—persistent, asking for my tale,

Like shadows stretching at sunset, too stark to fail.

For years I've circled this beckoning, creative quest,

Now something fierce within me refuses to rest.

As I embark on this journey, pen clutched like a guide,

What once was suggestion becomes fierce pride.

With each scratched line and whispered verse, my voice grows clear,

And transparent doubts transform into purpose I hold dear.

It has often been hinted I should boldly take the stage,

The thought gleams like glass, presenting a daunting page.

For all the years I've circled this with a nervous heart,

Here goes one trembling step toward setting myself apart.

And now I've convinced myself it's time to find my way,

As clarity breaks through clouds to clear my path each day.

Those hesitant thoughts that once held my mind confined,

Are shadows of doubt I'm finally leaving behind.

Rising from silence, no longer content to dwell,

In the margins of might-have-been and almost-was.

I have one hell of a life long journey to tell-

What began as a whisper now thunders with applause.

Through trials and tribulations, I'll find my voice to tell,

A story that's been hidden, now ready to compel.

In sleepless nights and moments of blinding light,

My narrative claws its way from darkness into sight.

With each step forward, inspiration grows and flows,

From whisper to a call that echoes and glows.

What once was hidden stands revealed and free—

A voice patient and unsealed, guiding me to stand tall with clarity.

~ Justine Doerner