I Stand

It's hard, but rewarding, to stay true to who you really are.

You see me standing here,

surrounded by nothing but sand.

Being blown around by the winds,

and as I understand

you can't help but ask yourself,

"Why?'

As if I were crazy

for dealing with the dirty gusts,

for letting my toes sink into

the scorching sand.

For putting up with the lack of water,

for putting up with the lack of everything

for that matter.

And you wonder how I can possibly smile

with my sun dried lips. 

How I can possibly 

even try to exist

in this desert.

And you wonder how I can laugh,

as if mocking those living outside this place,

how I could possibly judge

those who are living better lives

than myself.

And you wonder how I can cry;

How I can value my tears for others

above the obvious need to retain water.

And why would I cry for those people

who believe they are living

far nicer lives then mine.

And my response lies beneath the surface

of this new wind-blown sand.

Where, at one time, I wasn't alone.

Where now nonexistent footprints

once thrived.

Where my friends had stood,

Where you had stood.

This is where I started,

This is where we all started,

and this all started when some people

wandered away

and then came back the next day

taking others with them.

Their footprints quickly vanished,

Who they had been just as quickly

disappeared.

I too wandered from my spot,

striding forward as if I knew

the direction my life was heading.

And it was so easy at first.

But where as I had strode off,

I had to crawl back.

And Why did I come back?

Something had felt wrong,

and when I returned

to where I thought I stood,

I found no footprints;

No remnants of my past self.

So, here I stand.

Trying to make a new indent

for myself in this sand.

Missing my friends who

have lost themselves.

Who, 

Instead of holding still,

gave up on who they were

because it was hard.

It is hard.

But I'm proud I came back,

and even though I may not be

exactly the same person I had been,

I will smile and laugh with joy

to know I'm trying where others failed.

But I will cry for those people people I thought

I knew.

Who instead of coming back,

like their footprints,

just blew away.

Reviews

[Addy]

I LOVE IT SO MUCH! The imagery. The metaphors. So perfect. So inspiring. Wow.

[Michael Adams]

Wow, thanks for the feedback. To be completely honest I wasn't sure if I was going to get any. Never posted anything online before but it's cool to see such a welcoming community. More importantly, it's cool to hear someone enjoyed my poem. Thank you.

[Addy]

No problemo! I looked at it at first and saw how long it was and I'm like, ha. Ha. Ha. Yah no. It's midnight and I'm not reading the whole thing. Then I started reading it and I'm like OH MY GOSH SO AWESOME I CANT STOP. ur very talented.

[Addy]

Btw u need to post something else so I can READ IT

[Michael Adams]

If you'd like.

[Addy]

I would like. I'd like very much.