Something's gotta give

Something's got to give 

Standing and walking on a sinuous line 

Fine line 

Balancing on it. 

Stuck between two versions of myself 

Oneself. 

Career mindset. 

Self-care mindset. 

Live and let live. 

Take and never forgive. 

Pulling on me like strings. 

Pushing and pulling. 

I sway in the wind. 

Feeling unsteady. 

Collide and compete 

And I’m losing my feet. 

I’m getting stretched on all ends, 

Like a tug-of-war. 

Something's got to give. 

The threads fray at the seams, 

Dreams against dreams, 

Each screaming louder, 

Which will devour 

The space I hold in between? 

Caught in the grind, 

Trying to find 

A moment of peace, 

A sliver of release. 

But the world doesn’t stop, 

And neither do I. 

Overcommitted, under-aligned, 

Split between goals that confine. 

The weight is crushing, 

The clock keeps rushing. 

I breathe in, 

Let the storm spin, 

Yet I can’t win. 

The rope burns my hands, 

Slipping from demands. 

How long can I stay in the fight, 

Before I fall or take flight? 

This line, this tightrope, this give and take, 

It’s a fragile dance, and I might break. 

Something’s got to give, 

Or I’ll give it all away.