Within My Lane
They told me I couldn’t do it
Wasn’t made of the right stuff,
They smiled sweetly, too sweetly
Hinted I stay within my lane.
Ma insisted this would happen
Said to keep my head bowed down,
Eyes on the floor, no hint of thought
Happy to stay within my lane.
Dad mentioned this could happen
But believed I’d rise above,
Insisted only I could determine
Whether to stay within my lane.
I dug deep for what was in me
Pulled out all that I could find,
And ignored the looks and whispers
Tried to fly within my lane.
Proven mighty in their privilege
Turned out lights and walked away,
Shook their heads, shot looks of pity
All alone within my lane.
Subsumed within my rage
Every name I could recall,
I threw at them, in my head,
While I stayed within my lane.
The anger passed as time does
Random musings took its place,
Strange turn of phrase it is for one
To stay within one’s lane.
Repurposed from the start
To mean conquer and control,
How elitist to demand that one
Should stay within one’s lane.
Reflection led to wonder
Who creates the lanes we know,
And has the right to say to all
Just stay within your lane.
Whispered prayers eventually led to stillness
In the silence I heard the Word and slipped out from within my lane.