Realism.

He said "Be Realistic"

And she obeyed

Turning her dreams

From color to gray.

"Stop chasing the unattainable

Stop reaching for the sky

Stop writing on that paper

Start looking me in the eye."

She never had the gift

To easily define

What was in her heart

What was on her mind.

Dancing and writing

Were the only ways she knew

With no one to lean on

And nowhere to run to.

She would dance to rise above

And write to find release

A small but powerful token

To put her mind at ease.

"It'll never take you anywhere

And you'll get left behind

You're unlikely to shine

Just get hung up to dry."

She took the words to heart,

Finding an avenue much more safe,

Spent the next 20 years

Mimicking the average worlds' pace.

Fearing she would never be heard

When she left it all out in the open

He was right about being realistic

Leaving little sense for hoping.