I want the world was extra open
As a result of it isn’t as open because it may appear
Generally there’s house to roam
However areas get closed in between
Feeling like there’s nowhere to show
Locked in lock-step with the machine
Oppression masquerading as freedom
Median masquerading because the imply
When isolation turns into safety
And {dollars} make no sense
Distraction turns into a dimension
Our main type of defence
We shut ourselves off from moments
Letting minutes take their place
The now will get forged apart for the longer term
And the calling will get trumped by the chase
I want the world was extra open
However wishing received’t make that come true
So I’ll begin the place I can – with myself
That’s the perfect I can do
This poem got here out of a quiet Sunday morning session — handwritten, unfiltered, and surprisingly clarifying. In an upcoming version of The Lantern, I unpack the concepts that sparked it, discover the strain within the second stanza, and share the way it connects to presence, consideration, and the best way we navigate a world that always feels extra closed than it claims to be. If you wish to learn that deconstruction — and obtain future essays, reflections, and explorations — subscribe to The Lantern under and it’ll arrive immediately in your inbox.