The Well-Paved Path Is Not Always The Safest
If we weren’t so scared shitless
of the infinite possibilities that lie at our feet
and their inherent risk of failure and defeat
what an adventure life could be
Every waking moment presenting us different options from which we can choose
Like an endless selection of stones from which we can continuously pick a new one
to pave the way for every exciting next step we take
The story of our lives
strung together
a concatenation of choices
Yet so many of use choose to walk paths so fucking similar
so spectacularly unoriginal
that we end up dragging our feet over endless miles of stones
polished blunt by the thousands of feet that came before us
And on this well-paved path
where we forsake intuition as the nonsense of myths
and we ignore our natural tendencies
for the sake of convenience
and acceptance
our spirits grow numb
our creativity fleeting
without us even noticing
Our eyes simply too focused
on the set destinations it leads to
destinations we tell ourselves we want to reach
Because that’s where we should go
Because that’s where everybody goes
And as we walk on and starve our souls
ignoring the signs to destinations
that are tugging at our heart strings
we slip on the footsteps of those who proceeded us
Only to pull ourselves back up by handles put there
for that specific purpose
because we know by now everybody slips there
this is just where we are made to go down
See a shrink
take a pill
a short time off
if you must or will
And if makes me want to scream
scream at the top of my lungs
This is not your fucking path!
This road does not do you justice
You, with your unique blueprint, you
You, with your very own personalized toolbox, you
With tools that could craft a path
just. for. you.
that might not look like much to others
one they might not value or understand
which is so very okay
because you’d know it’s not them for whom this path was meant
so fuck it if they can’t imagine the view
from where you’d stand
The well-paved path might seem like the safe place to stay
but please make it your mission
to get off and carve out your own way
Jump cliffs, cut your feet on untamed stones, balance on sharp ridges
get a little lost, craft stairs, build bridges
chase your own riches
Bandage your bleeding feet
smiling
for a few scars are a small price to pay
for memories so growth-inducing and sweet
Safe and polished stones?
can easily make you slip and fall
quietly diminishing your dreams
whilst breaking your bones
Even when you walk it tall
I fear the well-paved path
is not all that safe
after all