In chess, it's called Zugzwang... when the only viable move... is not to move,
In life it’s called by many names, sometimes worse as one gets older.
The comfortable flat, familiar decor, pictures on the wall, I have nothing to prove,
Except there is a thought that lives behind tired Netflix eyes, a call to be bolder.
Airport drop off parking is timed, limited conversation for goodbye, I hold her tight,
My daughter takes a photograph, text added “and he’s off” posted to family group chat .
Years before roles reversed, off to teach English, my joy, my fears followed her Asia flight,
Earth will travel half way around the sun before I return, many an unfamiliar habitat.
A small loved country recedes in the airplane window, higher now, I gaze at sculptured cloud formations,
My mind wanders, time to be alone, time to reflect on the days that went before.
The baggage I have carried for so long, now time to jettison this limiting cargo,
Look with new eyes, hear new sounds, test out my own flawed expectations.