Path of Thorns

This is a story of my life. In some way I think that all of us can relate to this.

This path of thorns in life we tread

Is a path of hardships, full of dread

But without these hardships we can’t see

Those things from which we’re truly set free.

Our focus is always on the pain of life’s journey

Only in this way we know we’re worthy

It’s on this path we learn love and affection

The path of thorns only leads in one direction.

For life on the straight and narrow is no easy task

There is one simple question the broken heart must ask

Is that grudge really worth all this pain?

Life is too short to be lived in vain!

We walk this path with our feet bleeding

Freedom from pain the heart is pleading

Freedom from slavery the soul searches

And from these thorns it reemerges.

This path of thorns is a path of toil

Underneath there’s no soft coating of soil

You get what comes at you along the way

And fight your hardest so you don’t stray.

The path of thorns is life’s toughest teacher

Spun by fate, it’s the destiny of every living creature

Whether to walk it is a decision we all face

The choice is simple, either choose life, or fall from grace.

The journey is long, not an overnight achievement

You’re doing it to change yourself, not for the public’s appeasement

Each bloody step you take you are dying to yourself

It’s not until you trip is when you need that dusty leather book sitting on your shelf.

Life isn’t fair is what we all say

We all have our own path of thorns we walk every day

Whether it’s leaving a life of addiction

Or being free from anger by love’s healing prescription.

There’s salvation at its very end

And it’s only when we look back at our journey

That we’re able to comprehend

The value of dignity, life’s fragile tenderness

This path of thorns is a path of change, a path of forgiveness.

Reviews

[Amber Lily]

Fantastic! This is completely relatable to everyone but what everyone thinks when they read it is different. That is the beauty of it. Life is hard, and the sooner we realize it the sooner we can help ourselves get across our own path of thorns. It will always be bloody and brutal, but it's the ending that's worth it :)
A great write.

[Aries1984]

Amen to that! And thank you for the comment.

[Valentine]

This kind of life was learned from mom and dad. We need more responsible parents to take responsibility for raising their kids to be morally upright adults. Nice write. Valentine

[Aries1984]

Very true. But at the same time, had life been without any struggle, I think that it would be quite boring. My parents raised me in the church, and even with that, I still went through a dark time. I never did drugs of course. Only smoked cigarettes. My folks divorced when I was 17. I haven seen my dad since they divorced up until 2 weeks before my dad died last month. This poem is really about what I was going through in between. For me it was a journey to complete forgiveness. To forgive my dad for the pain he inflicted.

[Valentine]

No one on earth is perfect, all have flaws. Kathie

[jacob erin-cilberto]

it's tough to stay straight...and often unpopular...a cross to bear, so to speak...
but if we can rest our heads on the pillow at night with a sense of dignity intact...

it's the better way of life....

nicely expressed.

[Aries1984]

No its not easy at all. But to get to that light at the end of the tunnel (not in the sense of near death experiences of course) is worth the risk of taking the journey. I also like to look at it like climbing up a very steep hill. We sweat when we hike up hills. But once we get to the top and turn around, we get this breath-taking view that for a moment you forget that you even had problems. That's the reward.

[Aries1984]

And thank you for a thought provoking review.

[LauraraMonique]

I love this poem, I could hear your voice and relate. That's my favorite type of writing. Excellent job!

Best,

Laurara Monique

[Aries1984]

Thank you for taking the time to read it and review it. I'm glad you like it.

[Aries1984]

Thank you for taking the time to read and review it. I'm glad that you liked the lines that stood out to you the most. In fact I had to think a bit how I was going to form that line that you like in the poem. I can no longer recall what my original train of thought was for that line but it was one that, if I used it instead of the line I put in there, would convey that we don't have the freedom of choice. And that's far from the truth. So I had to really ponder about how I was going to form that line and the result I came up with is what you see. I'm glad you like it. Thank you for the constructive review. I look forward to reading more of your songs on here when I'll have a bit of time from work and school.

[DoormanDan]

I absolutely love this poem. It is very well written, there's no denying that. It flows very well, rhymes are spot on(don't feel forced at all), and you repeated the title just the right amount of times for it to not be too repetitive. The message of this poem is one that should be given to people more often. My favorite lines were, "Whether to walk it is a decision we all face, the choice is simple, either choose life, or fall from grace.". Really, fantastic job :)

[Aries1984]

Thank you for taking the time to read and review it. I'm glad that you liked the lines that stood out to you the most. In fact I had to think a bit how I was going to form that line that you like in the poem. I can no longer recall what my original train of thought was for that line but it was one that, if I used it instead of the line I put in there, would convey that we don't have the freedom of choice. And that's far from the truth. So I had to really ponder about how I was going to form that line and the result I came up with is what you see. I'm glad you like it. Thank you for the constructive review. I look forward to reading more of your songs on here when I'll have a bit of time from work and school.