It's Not A Competition. Poem by Joanne Kearsey

I've lived through the darkness within me,
I have climbed through the thick forest that now lies behind me,
The pain remains, the dull constant throbs remind me of it all,
I won't be stopped; I will make it out of this hell that claims to weaken me.

Sometimes the clouds fog my vision enough to slow me down enough for me to stop,
I need to rest and forget where I am going, even if just for a minute,
Sometimes there is destination needed, only to keep going for a while,
Enjoy the scenery, where there is no noise, no people, just peace and quiet.

Not everything in this life has meaning, so I have stopped searching,
I try and keep things simple, if something doesn't fit in with my life it doesn't stay,
But I will test and try everything out as much as possible before I let things go,
There is no one way to live and die in this world, I will always have to do things my way.

I don't know the path you've walked just as much as you don't know mine,
I'm not here to judge, I have seen what it can do to a person,
I have climbed off that ledge one too many times, I can't believe that it still stands,
With how much talk there is going on, please use my ears, I am here to listen.

I may not be able to offer advice, but I offer a place to feel free and be yourself,
I know my innards, the twisted, broken, weird, beaten, and busted person that stands before you,
Everyone has some amount of baggage, and everyone is perfectly flawed in their own beautiful way,
We have our own stories to share, to engage others with and to show another point of view.

I wish people would see that life is not a competition to see who has it better or worse than you or I do.



26/10/2020 - edited on 10/05/2024.