You’re here.
            That’s your first mistake.

You’re not at church.
You’re not at work.

                Not watching the latest marvel movie
                at a bar, a game, the gym
                anywhere else.

                For whatever reason

                                     you are here.

                                     Let me tell you what that
                              means.

You could be in church,

       stale robes screaming!
              about how unworthy YOU are
                                                                  perfection
                                        the only currency
                            of any value other than
                                                          your wallet.

You could be at work,
        for five cents on the dollar;
            some worth there at least…

                  not much though.
      So you’re here.
                                You’re here. Okay,
but you could be at the movies!

Some ubermensch sees the world ending,
      finds himself, his friends and stops it.

All the action! The machismo!
                The heroics!

The good guys… always… winning…

                         Yet
                                you’re here, where they often…
                    just fucking don’t.

I get it,
        but you could be out on the town,

submerged in whatever works
    to blur the world as it is.
          A backwards magic eye painting,
            that makes more sense
                              distorted,
                    digestible even.

Is it too early? Too late?
          Whatever-
                            You’re here.

Not at a game, a jersey on,
        screaming at the top of your lungs
                about how worthy your boys are-
              (not theirs, never theirs)
      You could be there,

But that’s,
                that’s a lot;
        so you’re here.

You’re not at the gym,
          living the nightmare to reach the dream
                of immortality.
      Some absolute unit telling you you’re doing great,
                    you’re almost there,
                        just one more,
                        just one more,
                        just one more,
                        just one more.
You’re here.

                     By choice.

     Vulnerable but celebrated,
              knowing the good guys, ladies
                            and everyone
                                    in between
                                            or beyond;

                      they lose, and lose and lose –
        but they get back up, they show up.
                    Not paid to be here,
                              still
                                                    finding value.

               Staring the world down,
                  seeing it for what it is,
                                  unflinching,
                and finding worth in every corner,
                            every shadowed table
                      every wilted head.

You’re here
and that’s enough.

Being here is a mistake
          a mutation
      an evolution.

But be here.
      Be strange.
          Be loved.