Race Of Life Poem by Sean John

I am in the race of my life!
Each stage is a challenge in itself to survive
It is a grueling and demanding obstacle course
It commands a very powerful and influential force
As if I am running in an uninvited space
More often than not like I am out of place

I am viewed as being least amongst all
At any given moment I am expected to fall
The odds against me mount up as if with wings
As if intent on shattering my confidence within
Littered with a complexity of hurdles and stumbling blocks
The course seems specifically designed to hold me back

In this competitive race for my life
I must fight twice as hard so as to stay alive
Along this uneven and imbalanced track on which I run
I have to focus my head or lose my ground
The loud and deafening cheers tell of deceptive tales
This course is lined with many who expect me to fail

It is unlike any other race!
I have so much to prove if I am to earn my place
The odds against me are stacked mountain high
As if aimed at limiting my ability to reach the sky
Society has built imposing walls of exclusion zones
Birds of a feather! To each his own!

Still, this is my absolute place!
I have earned the right to run in this race
Despite history's indelible scars and embedded pains
I am no less of a man because I am stained
On the contrary, they are like stepping stones
A sense of purpose so I could hold my own

So, I will proudly run my race
I have mapped out the course and set my pace
With each twist and turn along the beaten path
Determination and purpose are kept alive in my heart
I am up against great odds but victory is etched firmly in my mind
Though I may fall along the way I will not be left behind