Friar Freedom
Take it easy, Friar Freedom, keep your secret. Hug the spell. For the solitude of being holds a penalty as well.
Louise Louis
SourceLicence:Public domain (US, unrenewed)
Take it easy, Friar Freedom, keep your secret. Hug the spell. For the solitude of being holds a penalty as well.
The speaker addresses a figure called Friar Freedom, a name that joins two opposites: a friar, bound by vows and a life apart, and freedom, which suggests having no ties at all. The advice is gentle and a little teasing. "Take it easy," the speaker says, as if talking to someone who has gotten too intense about being free. Keep your secret, hug your spell, hold on to whatever private magic you've found.
But the last two lines turn. Being alone, the speaker warns, "holds a penalty as well." The poem doesn't spell out what that penalty is, though the logic of the image suggests loneliness or distance from other people. The speaker isn't scolding. The tone is closer to a friend's caution, offered kindly. The mood is quiet and thoughtful, a little wistful, and the poem's brevity makes the warning land lightly but stay in the mind: independence can feel like a gift and still carry a price.