In a land far away
In a room with 50 strangers
To the sound of my own breath
With geckos dancing above
I had a vision of myself
Gripping a string
Connected to a kite
Flailing in the wind
Full of tension
My knuckles were purple
Without even knowing
I’ve been holding on so tight
Keeping the kite in the air
Wondering if you’d see it flying
And know it meant
That I was still here
And I still cared

Wrestling it against the wind
While going about my life
Scared it would escape me
And it would forever be gone
I would forever be gone
You would forever be gone
Our story forever over

And in a deep inhale I realized
I didn’t need to hold it anymore
I was allowed to stop trying
I could quit
Without being a quitter
I could fail
Without being a failure
It was time to release.
And so… I unclenched
Finger tips opened
Palms spread wide
Like a balloon
I watched it get stolen in the wind
As tears flooded my face in relief

I wanted one last hug
And one last chat
One last laugh
A different ending to the story

The kite was a beacon for you
But I had to let go
Arms too tired to keep it up
I had to let go
It’s okay
I’m okay
Deep breath in
Exhale
Now I’m free
And so it is
No more strings
Release