Solar Power
The inverter filled the room
6 feet wide and tall and gleaming
white
the first of its kind in England
you sat at its feet,
holding in your hands the switch
to 50,000 Watts.
the power itself came from the sun
collected by 300 panels gleaming on the roof
and piped through armoured cable
to this tiny room that hummed with electricity
no, you didn’t put the power there.
that was the work of some larger organisation
yet in that moment, you held the keys to a beating heart.
a force so great that handled incorrectly
it could kill us both.
and you switched it on
with a smile on your lips
and mischief in your words
there is no training we can have for courage
after all the books are read,
and the continuing personal development session is over
there will always be a point where we must step into
the unknown
yes, i’ve read every piece of bad advice
about what it means to be courageous
now i remember - just this.