The Road That I Have Paved Poem by chris schwartz

Younger eyes see the water
Far off in the desert,
While older eyes,
Dig for the cool comfort
Under the scorching sand.
Life is not what you see,
But how you view it,
The most common mistake
Among man.
If nothing is left unguarded
And quiet gives way
To the hamster
In the next room,
Quietly comforting you
With its squeaky wheel.

Then, you, my friend,
Are you ready?
Are you willing,
To accept
The emptiness
Within?
To love oneself,
To be frightened,
Is to believe
You are worth the pain.
Then,
And only then,
Will you find that the frost
Lifts from windshield
On the car
You've been driving,
And perhaps,
You might try
Your journey
Down
The long and familiar road
That you,
Yourself, has paved.