"The Weight" Inspired by Atlas Shrugged:

The Weight

Words written with purpose and power.

Characters determinedly not yet defeated.

Flawed people, like me, as villains.

Flawed people, like me, as heroes.

I can see Ayn's heart on the pages

of monologues, mistakes, and masteries.

I can feel the importance of her words

like a weight I have accepted

to share with Atlas himself.

Part of the burden

is what I love and comprehend

and, thus, feel responsibility to apply.

But the other part

is what I know has been read

and also know I do not yet fully grasp.

Hundreds of pages,

full of explanation and example,

have taught me something important --

understanding it would be life-changing.

Instead, I sit and try to identify

what I have missed.

Like a geometry student in calculus,

I see familiar parts

and understand that the conclusion

will have significance

for the reader who fully understands

how to use the equations thoroughly explained

by Ayn, Dagny, and Hank.

One day I'll understand, too,

and be worthy of holding and using

the weight of knowledge I bear.