I’ll Play their Game

I’ll play their game until the end

She told herself in the morning

I’ll play their game which makes no sense

She told herself in the evening

I’ll play their game to propel myself forward

She tells herself each day

For I cannot settle and deny myself the reward

She confessed in the mirror

So I’ll play and play until I win

It might be their game, their rules, their scoreboard

She announces decisively

But the choice is mine

Thus I am both the player and the referee

This game is mine, so watch me play

This game is mine, and I perfect it everyday

You’re on my turf now, the rules have changed

You might have been experts, but today we have taken the stage

B’s Poetry Challenge #12

Choice

A few months ago I chose to quit my job for a better opportunity. Unfortunately, that opportunity didn’t work out and I ended up being unemployed instead. For months I regretted my decision, convincing myself that I shouldn’t have taken the risk, that I was fine where I was.

My choice was based on a foundation of stress, so maybe if I had pushed through it the result would have been different. But the truth is you can’t undo life-altering choices, because they are what make your life. The small daily unconscious choices, along with the monumental decisions, they make up the days we spend on this Earth. Sounds obvious doesn’t it. Yet quite often we forget the reasons behind our choices, because we’re blind to the effects they will have on our future.

Back to my example. At first I perceived my unemployment as a failure, but now I realize that it has been a true blessing. During this free time, unburdened by the stress of a full-time position, I was able to relax. I dedicated time to my hobbies, took care of my health, engaged in new activities, met different people and gained some perspective. In the end, it was my choice that brought me to where I am today and for the first time in almost a decade, I can honestly say I understand what it means to be calm.

Culture of Fear

Instilled in us at a young age
To tremble with fear at every stage
Without it you would be lost to the wind
Like a bird that hasn’t learned to sing

Fear will protect you from your doom
Hold on to it, or you’ll vanish soon
An armor meant for the weak of heart
Is given to us from the start

Not by choice, is what they say
Wear it true or else you’ll pay
To the skies above you always pray
For an alternative in any way

Born free is every creature on this earth
To roam and wander in endless mirth
But the iron weighs us to the ground
Forced to constantly hammer and pound

They who crave to seize control
They who believe they can eat us whole
They who don’t look to the skies above
Because they don’t  believe in enough