SLAM!

Balancing Act

It has not been easy, running this race
called life -- in fact I can recite
each disillusionment, each moment of sheer
pain and deception I've had to keep pace
with. So if hope is, at times, hard for me to ignite
then so be it -- at least I adhere

to my beliefs and dwell in my own space,
honest to a fault, which is my plight --
my transparency and inability to appear
other than who I am, for I can't erase
the simple truths of where I've been, in spite
of myself, perhaps because I'm afraid I'll engineer
my downfall if I'm not true to my utmost core.

So look closely, my story is etched on my face,
and depending on my mood, and if the light
is kind, you can see it all there, quite clear --
each joy, every victory, and all of my disgrace
right there on display, not hidden out of sight.
But don't worry about me - I will persevere,

for there have been good times, which I embrace
with joy and appreciation -- moments of delight
I recall with great fondness, and I'm quite sincere
when I say that while the positive doesn't replace
the negative, it creates balance, sets things right,
and helps the dark times seem less severe --
motivating me to look behind the next door.

Balancing Act  (13+) Prelim Round 3 - Rhyming "autobiography" poem ... #1109531 by Sophy