The Smuggler - Ian Lilburne

Apprehensively
I reach the frontier
The solitary traveller
Softly outside
But not seasoned so
Having always taken
The proven path

But this time I’m branching out
Smuggling a secret
That sets me apart
Not the usual contraband
The expected indiscretion
Ripe for reprimand
But something more personal
A dark unknown
That threatens my safety
And mine alone
The toxic spoils of a divided self
The upshot of playing it safe
Avoiding the risks
My dreams demanded
When they might’ve mattered

Will I be stopped?
Forced to surrender
My secret desire
In the expected manner
Of the respected traveller?
Or will I be cleared
This final act of defiance
And allowed to cross over?