Out in the cold

The wind called my name

So I faced it without fear

I breathed freely in this fresh air

Sweeping away old realms

I had changed direction

I would not surrender

Feeling neither rejection nor objection

For a prize I had not sought

Contented by the warmth of my labour

The fruits never tasted so sweet

Even if a little unrefined

This is the field of dreams

Today liberty won

So leave me out in the cold

Satisfaction was paid

By releasing the flame within

-Camille Delaquise

This poem appears in RISE, Camille’s second contemporary poetry collection. Out in the cold speaks to the liberation of self-determined change — finding dignity, freedom and deep satisfaction not in approval or reward, but in the hard-won warmth of following one’s own inner conviction.

This poem is available as a contemporary poetry print on textured recycled card.