CAPACITY

a billion lived before me
a billion and more will be born after me
part of each of the dead lives inside me
history has examples of the people i could be.
people look at Hitler
and call him pure evil
would they say that
if they only knew that each one of them
has the capacity
and the state of mind
to become far worse than he?
Jesus told the world
each of us could do the things
that he has done
to turn water into wine
to walk across the stormy seas
to heal the sick
to die each day
for the sins of others.
both men brought out
the good and evil
of their support or opponents.
if you say "i can't"
you set limits for yourself
you rob yourself of your opportunity
to change minds
to change lives
to change the course of time
for better or for worse
as our ancestors have.
you have the capacity
as do all of us
to face your day
and your challenges
and keep on winning
by believing that you can
by working hard enough
by reaching far enough
by pushing your limits outward
to accomplish the goal
that once seemed
so far away.
each day
a new story is written
and you have the power
the potential
to make it a love story
a mystery
a fantasy
or a tragedy.
the story you write today
will live on
in each new life born
from now
until the end of time.

--Peter Johnson, 1995