It's been a while since I dove

deep into the world of poetry. 

It's been a while since I wrote

words that meant something to me

for everyone else to see. 

I forgot how it felt to put myself on display. 

To feel the words under my wings and fly. 

I disappeared into reality, never to be seen again. 

I swam in vast oceans of my thoughts. 

I drove across highways of expectations. 

I took a train through caves of doubt. 

I walked through friendship, 

savoring every minute of it. 

I ran from sorrow, 

yet it always caught up to me. 

But I never once spread my wings and flew. 

A long time ago, I made a promise. 

A promise to myself. 

That I would never erase my wings. 

Yet I did, just to see what it was like. 

Now, I redraw my wings, adding more to them. 

The detail of love, loss, and hope makes them grander. 

The feathers of success make them sturdier. 

The aerodynamics of knowledge and courage allow me to soar. 

I had forgotten what it felt like to fly, 

to spread my wings and glide. 

But now I remember, 

and I vow to never break my promise.