Courage is a Crooked Umbrella

by Zhiheng Xie, 16

Courage is a crooked umbrella,

opened inside a thunderstorm

that hasn't arrived yet.

It is a goldfish 

navigating the oceans,

in a glass bowl, 

still believing in blue

Courage wears mismatched socks

to the judges of public opinion, 

or brings a sword to a gun fight

calling it optimism. 

Courage could be a lion,

it could be an ugly moth. 

Throwing itself at the moon,

the forever endless light.

Courage will be what I do now,

Standing with my crooked umbrella.

Learning my oceans,

My mismatched socks and goldfish heart. 

It will be walking forward, especially when I look ridiculous. 

Ugly-winged and desperate, chasing unreachable light,

for not existing in the darkness.

Is courage delusional?

Courage is a ridiculously little religion 

of moths, goldfish, umbrellas combined

all consisting of more light within themselves,

than ever outside.