Steady

Every step a challenge,
and every breath an ache.
You worry that you're weakening,
 that the world will have its take.

 Fear is ever the enemy,
 though not always a liar,
 but shaking hands belie your will:
a steady, roaring fire.

Rise, and stand, steel yourself,
and bare your teeth anew.
Slowly build back all your strength,
and some you never knew.

Walk not the path that's easy;
traverse the one you choose,
and should you stumble once again,
simply smile at the bruise.

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 I have been wanting to get back into writing poetry, so this is an attempt at that. It's a lot more rhythmically predictable and linguistically shallow than I usually like, but I have been away a long time. This poem is about several things: my broken rib (which is finally healing after almost a month), my frustration with a few of my recent life choices (not willing to go into detail here, but they are nothing huge, nor threatening to my long-term well-being), and a feeling of foreboding over where my "path" is leading me. I tend to over-think every aspect of my life; sometimes it's a good thing and results in me making the best possible decisions, and sometimes it results in me questioning whether where I'm going is really where I want to be.

 Goals:

1) Be more frugal. Material things and going out all the time are fun, but they are not going to fulfill me. I've been using these things as kind of a crutch while I'm unable to pursue my other interests due to my dang rib. Of course, self-control could have fixed this.
2) Get back in what I consider "good" shape by the Salvation Army Red Kettle Run at the end of the month. I have had to take a long break from any kind of serious training since I ran my 10K, but I think I can run the Red Kettle in 22 minutes or less still if I put my mind to it.
3) Sing Sinatra. A lot. I sang "Fly Me To The Moon" at karaoke the other night, and I've got to say that it felt very good. The rest of the bar patrons agreed.

This writing thing is fun stuff! I am gonna tack another goal on here and say (as I have so often in the past) that I'm going to write more from now on. I really hope I follow through this time, ha!