Can't

November 14, 2023
‘I don’t know what “I can’t” means,’ said the first little owl.

‘Bravo!’ said the dishevelled little owl.

‘No,’ said the first little owl. ‘Listen…

‘I don’t know what “I can’t” means because,

‘even when I say I can’t do a thing,

‘I do it anyway.’

(Thinking...)

The dishevelled little owl said, ‘You do a lot of things.

‘That's true. You do.'

‘That’s my whole point,’ said the first little owl.

‘Everyone says, “Yes!”, “Go! Go! Go!”, and “You can!”

‘What I want to know is, “What if I can’t?”

‘What if I really, truly, CAN’T?’

(Thinking...)

The first little owl said, ‘What I want to know is:

‘How do I KNOW when I can’t?

‘How do I really, really know I can't

‘when I always think

‘I should go, and go, and go

‘—and just do it anyway?’

(Thinking...)

The first little owl said, ‘We talk and talk about how-to,

‘but we never ever say how-not-to.

‘We say, ”can is good”

‘and “can’t is bad”

“but I’m not so sure

“that’s right.’

(More thinking...)

‘Sometimes…’ said the dishevelled little owl.

(Even more thinking...)

‘Yes?’ asked the first little owl.

‘Sometimes,” said the dishevelled little owl,

‘“I can’t"

‘is bigger

‘and braver, than

‘“I can” could ever be.’