Fear

Fear is the enemy of reasonable minds
That battles in the centerfield of desire
It imprisons human spirit in darkness  
To stay idle in the castle of one’s own flesh
No freedom to soar up and fly high                                        

Fear is the gray clouds of the gloomy sky
Over the castle tower of human dreams
It is a wall that blocks desire’s stand
Demonizing the spirit of human minds
To battle the storm of life and aim high 

Fear is the stumbling block on the way up
The monster facing growth and progress
Devouring the vision of shining power
To reach the unlimited space of chance
For each one has a place under the sun

Ping ZhengPing Zheng is from Zhejiang, China, and moved to New York in 2017. She is a visual artist. At the Queens Public Library’s Elmhurst Adult Learning Center, she studies with teacher Jovito de la Paz. Michelle Johnston is the manager.