I hear turn right ahead
but I turn left
dyslexic behaviors
confusing me, again
I make a U-turn getting back on course
Arriving at my destination
I’m not late
I’m never late
I won’t allow it
I should feel relieved as I shift into park
Instead, I feel like someone blindfolded me
Spun me counterclockwise
Then released me into the wild
I’m disorientated
Watching people
Bustling past me
They appear to know exactly where they’re going
Confident in what they need to accomplish
The weight of panic settles into my chest
I want to scream for help
I feel like I did as a desperate child
Clearly, I’m in need of help
but no one is paying attention
I’m standing with invisible baggage
Bags straining my hands
Collapsing my posture
Suitcases parked at my feet
Uneven boxes stacked up
A load that’s blocking my view
They don’t seem to notice my despair
They can’t see the weight I bear
No one is offering to help carry the burden
I’m feeling exhausted
I sit down
I check the tags on my invisible baggage
Written with care
It reads
IT’S ONLY TEMPORARY
So, I breathe
And wait
Until my path is clearer and my load feels lighter

This essay was inspired in response to a monthly theme (Lost) from Illuminate, a writing community from the Kindred Voice. 

Read more stories on Lost from other Illuminate members

Can Anyone Really Be Lost? by Adeola SheehyDeath and a Garbage Can: The World’s Shortest Autopsy by Liz Russell
Carrying My Invisible Baggage by Crystal James
This Way Toward Disaster by Laci Hoyt
Where I Cannot See, I Am. by Leesha MonyGetting Lost in Motherhood by Christine Carpenter