Locus of the Lost

In the brush where trees run wide like dreams

A cocoon fixed just right contains the larvae screams

Within, is a student with wings not yet uncurled

Locked in textbooks, and cut off from the world

When is the best time to leave, it seems unclear

Birds flutter in the back, as they chirp in fear

But the Forest grumbling and stumbling replies

Many creatures seen this before as they have with storms under blue skies

Colored Chestnut ,Mr. Blackbear scratches the bark with flair

As he states aim for the top if you dare,

your best mark is not the grade you get

but the moments of effort you won’t forget

The cocoon shakes, to the message at hand

Success is due to making mistakes and figuring out how to land,

Slick skin with a sharp tongue, Mr Snake lays on the stone,

Barely awake he gives off a moan,

Slither away, skip this journey, friend

Who says you must Leap when the path won’t bend

Bulbous eyed friend of ours Mr. Owl perched on pine

He tells the cocoon time will tell and you will know the sign

Trial by trial who will break free and try

Who will rise even though they fear to fly

Who knows if the test is only for a grade

Or to see the strength you have made

The forest dies in silence as the answer lies

Not in the question but in the whys

Bellows echo in the forest as Mr. Bullfrog jumps and lands on the brook

His legs torqued and tense like a loaded book

I studied the forest each acorn and leaf,

The journey is hard and contains loads of grief

But it takes one mighty leap to pass the tide

From tadpole to frog I shine with pride

The student trapped in the cocoon breathes deep

No, he is not out nor is he asleep

Leap is more than a mark or a score

It truly is something more

Twitch, tear rip the cocoon thread snapped

No failure and the pressure within helped it crack

If you feel locked in and lonely studying in your pin

Know that Leaping means trusting what’s within.

By Tobechi Nwokeji