One More Time

One more time 8/14/2012

They are many more miles to run
And many more wounds to suffer
But many are those who fell and died
When they could have survived
If only they tried.

I am not a fast runner
And I have no help or water
Blazing through a trail less traveled
And heading toward
Places unknown.

What would we know
If no one took the risk
And laid down in calm pastures
Safe and sound.

For every man that sees the end
There are many more who don’t
Dying as they lived
And buried along the way.

But better it is to die
Than it is to remember
That you have lived in false safety
Without the courage to try.

My dreams are not important
And my desires have come and gone
Flashing before my eyes
In a brief shining moment.

If could have given up
And I could have lashed out in anger
Giving up the world
For just a moment of satisfaction.

You don’t have to see the end
To know that it’s there
And you don’t have to understand
If you keep doing what is right.

Just one more Monday
And just one more sacrifice
Forcing out one more step
And one more breath.

It has never been easy
And nothing has changed
With just enough strength
For the next blind step
Into the unknown.

I didn’t get an answer
The first time I asked
And neither did I learn my lessons
The first time I heard.

But sometimes you have to keep going
Even if it seems pointless
And has no reward
Because man learns by doing
And habits come with time.

The new man
Does not come easy
And breaking old habits
Is the hardest thing I learned
Because no one can learn in a day
What for a lifetime we ignored.

None of us
Will ever be perfect
And that’s important to know
Because with every day comes a challenge
Ready or not.

I thought I knew what love was
And I thought I knew what losing felt like
But I never knew a thing
Until I lived it through.

Anyone can love the lovely
And anyone can be careless
When times are good
But it’s what we do
With heartache
That makes the difference
Between man and beast.

Because only the good
Can smile through the pain
Giving up and giving in
Hour after hour
And day after day.

To still believe
When everything is gone
And to still hold up their head
When they are wounded
And filled with shame.

To show up
And try it again
Stretching out their neck
Taking the risks
Again and again.

To do what is right
When it’s the last thing you want
And having faith enough to give
When there is nothing left for you.

Today, I am tired
But I am here
Once again
Against all the odds
Still struggling through.

I am believing
For just one more day
Giving it what I have
Without regret or expectation.

Give today another chance
And give this challenge another go
With the world to gain
And nothing to lose.