He read that there are no safe spaces
But that there can be courageous spaces —

Where people gather in places
To take heart, and, with each other, find graces.

Then a photo of a lion’s pen
At the zoo came up on his screen.
The lion was in no mood to preen
meandering back to his den

As if to say,
“I just want to be alone;
I’m all out of courage today.”

Some days, you don’t even want to get started –
Not even those considered lion-hearted.