Overcoming Challenges

Poem Day 21

Overcoming Challenges

Some challenges in our lives stream
like Netflix movies, some in full length
and vivid color, others like short films,
black and white and rather dull,
still powerful,
still mind bending,
still threatening
our very lives and progress.

Over time, we try to tear ourselves
from the invasive onslaught
of terrifying and smoldering scenes,
some too close to the real thing,
others reminding us of our pasts
that we had purposely buried deep
in the recesses of our minds.

But somehow we still sit there in the dark,
inclined in those comfortable chairs,
munching buttered popcorn and eating red licorice,
all the while the streaming continues.

We promise ourselves we will shut it off
when the scenes become too lifelike.

We close our eyes, hoping the images
will cease for just a brief moment
for us to catch our breath
and then erase themselves forever.

For some reasons, we stay put,
sit alone in the dark,
suffering through it all, knowing
that we should not be here.

Then, the light suddenly flickers on,
and someone opens up the door wide,
allowing slivers of light to enter,
breaking the trance we are in.

At that moment, we realize it is our time
to climb out of the abyss we find ourselves in.

With some effort, we press pause,
then even more determined,
press the off button,
clamor out of our seats,
quickly toss the debris of our lives
into the huge overflowing cans
as we leave the theater of our past,
hoping, just hoping, and finally knowing
that we are leaving behind the darkness
of the past, entering the light of the present,
and moving on into full light and joy of the future.