What Turns People Crazy? Poem by Kelsey Gallant

What turns people crazy?
Is it the consistent friction, the rubbing of two equal
forces against each other?
Is it the life in which they’ve been brought up, the
differences and separations across boundaries of models
and knitting?
It’s hard to be so much the same and so much to blame
For what you don’t see as digression
Messed-up perceptions, a shattered mirror
Fogged-up pane of window obscures the true meaning
inside
It’s a difficult undertaking when you try to see both sides
Put yourself in both sets of moccasins
If you don’t try hard enough failure is imminent
As it is to so many
Those who try to see, but don’t really try
Who say they’re sad but don’t really cry
They take two steps and say they’ve climbed the
mountain
Too tired or lazy to get to the top
And where does it stop?
Muscles pull and tear and heal stronger than before
But threads of a sweater only rip so much before they are
beyond repair
Obstinacy will only get you so far
Try giving in for once
Success may come
Eventually.

(Published in Print in 'DeSSerted Island: Poem Collection' - 2014)