It’s simple to go with the current
—Let me carry you where you belong—
Is the tune that it sings and it’s easy
Getting caught up in the song.
But the current goes nowhere special
And the effort it takes is minute.
It floats you along without action—
You need to be more resolute.
So much joy in this world come from setting
A goal and a plan, well-conceived.
You get strong fixing course and then training
And finding a way to achieve.
Don’t rush to set foot on the first path
The one that is overly smooth;
The way is well-trodden, that’s certain,
But adventure is really your truth.
What’s the point of a life without challenge?
Why live if there’s nothing to face?
There is joy in the fight, you’ll discover,
When you train hard and finish the race.
When you’re called by a challenge, give listen
To the things that it’s trying to say.
Then you’ll never be one who must mutter
An excuse that their life has been gray.
Tag: inspiration
To the One Who Needed Silence
Don’t be afraid to voice it.
—Yes, the irony is there.
You try to model it instead,
But when you craft a silence bubble,
They rush in with words,
And cram every cranny.
The place looks different in their eyes
—Awkward, lazy, wasted space—
Not the serene spot
You strove to shape.
Still, don’t be afraid to voice it.
There are so many things
About yourself you don’t know
But this one thing you do:
You need wild stretches of wordlessness—
Without assignment
Without expectations—
Pausing deadlines and headlines,
Cutting away dead branches,
Taking chances that you may be worthwhile.
You’re afraid to need anything
Afraid to let someone know when you do
Because vulnerability can be abused.
You don’t want to cast a shadow,
To be any color but clear,
To be more than a whisper.
Secretly, you want to be invisible
Because it would let you be
Free to listen to the stream run
And dance among the trees.
But you can’t want that, not really,
They say. We gave you a book
About how to squeeze every drop
Of time out of each day
Like a lemon on a juicer
But you didn’t study it.
Shame on me, you think,
And carry the book, for years and years,
Finally throwing it away, unread.
Then life begins.
With a breath of silence.
Angela Adams
To the One Who Listened to Lies
They’ve been part of your life since you got here;
So, of course you have listened to them.
They may have been with you before you were born;
How could you not hear what they said?
Some of your earliest notions
Were wrapped in deceit and dread
Since you couldn’t distinguish the difference—
What was truth out of all that was said.
If someone had silenced those demons
Your mind might have learned they were false
But the truth and the lies intermingled,
And sang a bewildering song.
But who can silence silence?
They don’t hear what goes on in your mind.
So the lies got free range and they pecked at your brain
Like chickens let loose in the garden.
But the wonderful thing about growing
Is learning and starting to see,
That just because that’s where you started,
An ending place it need not be.
Run hard into battle; don’t fall back.
Stand up when they fire; call them out.
Hold the line. They’re not friends; don’t mistake them.
Lies have only the power you assign.
To the One Who is Discouraged
It’s a nothing’s working sort of day.
So much to do,
So much to say,
So many things that need put into place,
But nothing’s working.
There are so many things that need wrapped up,
Packed up,
Stacked up.
But everything’s slid where it shouldn’t quite be.
I’m the only one working.
But things you don’t know are occurring,
Bubbling,
Brewing,
Emerging in places you can’t yet see:
Don’t turn in your keys.
More things than you think are still working.
To the One Who Wanted Things in A,B,C Order
You’re trying to put tasks in order.
You have plans, but you’re patient enough
To know things must happen in sequence,
So you chomp your lip hard and act tough.
Then you work, work, work, work for that “A Goal,”
That one that just has to come first,
But it won’t budge at all, so you shrink up,
Feeling lonely and weak, without worth.
You have so many dreams, but you’re trapped here;
You can’t crack the door for the lock.
Oh, the things you could do if you pushed through,
But you can’t make it budge and you’re stuck.
You begin to despair and you panic.
The I-can’t-take-much-more shoots out pain.
You’re beaten and broken and empty.
When you peer at the goal, it’s insane.
Don’t despair; things do come for a reason—
You will see that when distance divides.
Don’t waste time; there are things you can do now.
Loose your grip and see what your palm hides.
The seeds that you hold seem so tiny,
Compared to your glorious dream.
But sometimes the small things are bigger,
Than ever you thought or they seemed.
Be content; till the soil; you have something.
You don’t know it yet, but soon you’ll find:
All the plans you conceive aren’t for nothing,
They have roots in a mightier vine.
Work hard on the “C Task” before you,
Though A, B, then C’s what you know.
Don’t slacken your dreams, learn this order:
C, B, A is how this goal may go!
To the One Struggling to Captain Her Own Ship
Life never is finished.
It’s not a burger flipped.
It’s not an 8 to 5—
Punch in and out.
There always will be more—
Another dish to wash,
Another floor to mop,
Another meal to cook,
Another conversation to have,
Another person who needs the time
(Certainly more than you do).
Another people with
Different thoughts, ideas, whims.
It will always be a tug of war
When you are near strong people
—Fascinating people—
You need to realize
That your vision is valuable too.
Don’t get trampled
Or pushed off the edge.
Someone else will always say
You’re doing the wrong thing.
You could do it differently—better!
People will always imply that
Their needs are more important now—
They’ll only take a few minutes.
But minutes turn to hours
Turn to days and months.
The years spin by, faster and faster.
Soon they’re swimming out of control
And you’re dizzy with panic—
Pushing and squeezing,
Throbbing—thunk, thunk, thunk—
Inside your skull.
You can’t turn time back,
But you can stop the pattern—
Right now.
You can stop and say:
I need time.
I need a fair share.
I need to step back
And focus on this for now.
I’ve focused on you;
I’m sure you’ll understand.
Many won’t see the importance,
Or comprehend
Why you want this route.
They may try to sink your ship
Or nudge you towards
A different course—
More interesting,
More profitable—
More closely connected to their own success.
They have it all planned out,
And explain it all
In most eloquent words
Or stab you with a
Fine!-Dig-Your-Own-Grave eye roll
Just as you’re feeling unsure of yourself
And you’ll feel pressure to agree,
To help for a while,
It might even be welcome
To have guidance—
Someone else to take the wheel
Just for a stretch—
But are you prepared for the exchange?
Life will be easier,
But mean less.
You’ll end up somewhere,
But not on your map.
That can be good,
But ultimately, it’s your choice.
When you know where you need to go,
Be mindful as you buy your ticket.
To the One Who Feels Pressure to Fill Others
Be mindful of who you keep near you.
There are voices that lead you off course.
Supporting is not always loving.
There are times it can hurt more than cure.
Don’t pour yourself out without refill,
Or give when you’ve nothing to spare.
Dole out love from a place of abundance,
Not by force when you’re withered and bare.
Don’t feel like a flop when you’re honest
And you say you require extra space.
Set a line when you see that you need it.
Be aware when it’s time to escape.
You have value; don’t ever forget it.
You aren’t put here to serve people’s whims.
You don’t live so that others can be lazy.
You don’t work just to make their lives gleam.
You cannot make someone else happy
Who is not content with his life.
A puppeteer always is needy.
You, as puppet, just won’t set that right.
For once, give your own gifts the runway.
Be bold and be strong—simply try.
When you strengthen and then you gain liftoff,
Don’t hold yourself back, girl, just fly!
To the Young One Afraid to Make Mistakes
We all have weaknesses,
So freely acknowledge your flaws.
And guess what? You’re going to shatter some china.
Over time, lots. And that’s okay.
Be able to admit your mistakes,
But don’t just plop down there,
Wallowing in regret.
Get up. Ask for forgiveness.
Forgive yourself, too.
And forgive others who had a hand in your fall.
It’ll take courage, but I hope you come to learn this:
We cannot survive together while keeping score.
We cannot survive, either, keeping score against ourselves.
Of course, you know this isn’t free rein
To do things you shouldn’t—
Any little thing you want,
To fall into weakness,
Or laziness,
To make every thoughtless mistake,
To hurt other people
And elevate yourself,
To avoid consequences—
Certainly not.
But I know you;
You won’t dwell there;
You heard that part loud and clear.
What you need is Confidence.
Confidence is respecting others and yourself,
Knowing you both have great value (yes, you too).
Confidence is bravely setting your boundaries,
And standing firm when they are challenged by crooks.
Confidence is being thoughtful and wise,
Then making clear choices without dodging shards of guilt.
Confidence is allowing yourself healthy emotions,
Not canning them to meet others’ expectation.
Confidence is being honest and kind:
In how you think; in how you live; in how you treat yourself.
Confidence is embracing you calling,
even when you aren’t good at it…yet.
Don’t skim over this!
Don’t shelve it,
Saying you’ll come back later—
When you’re better prepared,
More mature.
You’ll come back—
When you have time to do it justice.
You won’t.
Dig in now.
Let it really sink in. Digest it.
Practice. Give yourself grace. Practice more.
Believe me, you won’t regret it.
Learn this one, and you’ll really go places.
Angela Writes... 