Can I Do Anything? – Free Verse Poem by Jeral Williams
A playful yet thoughtful look at limits, dreams, and the nature of possibility.
In Can I Do Anything? by Jeral Williams, a free verse reflection weighs ambition against the truths of nature—where eagles can’t hide and turtles can’t fly.
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You can do anything you set your mind to. *
I never peered in an eagle’s eye
or watched a turtle climb a tree.
I might stare-down an eagle
or crawl into my shell,
or climb a tree,
but the eagle will never have a shell,
the turtle will never fly,
and neither will I.
I can do more,
I can expand,
I can stretch,
I can overcome,
But anything?
I blew seven pyrite flakes
in a swirling prairie dust storm.
I set my mind.
I worked hard, sweated, searched,
but found no fool’s gold,
only a fool’s folly
and a myth.
Know your limits, but never stop trying to break them. **
*Benjamin Franklin
**Kyle MaynardEnjoyed this piece?
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✍️ About the Authors
Jeral Williams is a retired psychology professor and late-in-life poet. He often attempts to explore the infrequently discussed features of the human condition. The privilege of old age has sharpened his focus on many realities he ignored in his youth.
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