I wanted to contribute.

To add value.

To make an impact.

I jumped ahead.

Tried to contribute

before I had joined.

Before I had entered.

Before I had aligned.

I wasn’t a part of.

I was apart from.

Looking in from the outside,

trying to change the inside.

Contribution without joining

is an intrusion

like breaking and entering

is a crime.

To contribute, I have to enter.

To enter, I have to notice where I am.

What’s already in motion.

What’s already being held.

Not to conform.

To connect.

To know what’s needed,

I need to understand.

Understanding joining is my choice.

Contribution is the next choice.

Not the first.

The loop of contributing without joining

is the loop of looking to control without connection.

What helps me connect is asking:

Have I entered?

Do I know what’s happening here

before trying to change it?

Joining precedes contributing.

If I haven’t entered,

I’m not a part of,

I’m apart from.