We Could Have Been

I could have been
a doctor,
a lawyer,
a scientist,
an architect.
I could have been
respected,
well off,
helpful.
I could have been
somebody,
elected,
official.
I could have been
religious,
well traveled,
well dressed.
I could have been
a lot of things
I was told to be.

I chose to make art.
Not because I had no choice
but because I had them all.
I chose to have a voice.
To be true to my heart.
That beats with cadence.
That feels the rhythm,
the pattern, the connection.
That sees the beauty
we all take for granted.
That wishes to speak
for those who can’t.
To help find the right words.

For those, who are unable to
because of their
upbringing,
programming,
culture,
laws,
government,
religion.

I chose to be nothing.
Unworthy of saving.
A fly on the wall.
Disposable.
To listen.
To take many positions
if only for a moment.
To be a chameleon.
To be versatile in vision.
To believe in the infinite.

To try and understand why
humanity can be
anything it wants to be.
If only it chooses to be.

We could have been.