Bitter Bliss: A Poetry Collection

The End of the Path

I was on a path.

There were tall grasses all around,

but my path was clear,

a straight shot home.

I walked it for ages

until I came to a fork.

I put a toe on the cement path to the right,

the one so often walked

that it was paved for ease of use.

But something about the concrete

under my bare feet hurt,

so I turned back to the well-worn dirt one.

If I had dared wade into the swamp to my left,

there would be a path leading out,

all clear, golden and glamorous.

But I chose the dirt.

The path was clear and strong,

following a brook with berry bushes.

It was subtle at first,

but soon exceedingly obvious that the path

was fading away.

A patch of grass here, 

a little spur there.

Doubt nagged at my mind,

but still, I continued.

Then the path ended, and tall grasses began, 

a wall to keep me out.

I knew then, from the blood all around

and the way the wind whispered,

that I would not be the first, nor the last,

to make it past this point.

A/N: I don't usually do this, but in this one, I'm going to explain some of the symbolism in this one.

The fork is school and career planning. The concrete path represents ease and being "common", and it leads to a blue-collar job.

The path through the mud is a life where you have to work to succeed, but once you do, you have everything you could dream of. You are famous. (of course, this isn't always the case)

The dirt path is the cliché of being depressed in high school and not making it through with breath still in you. The berries and brook bordering it symbolize having opportunities but not taking them, and going with the flow, respectively.

The wind whispering is your mind, telling you things that aren't true.

Tell me: would you rather I explain some of the symbolism, like here, or not, like in past works?

Also I'm sorry I haven't been updating, everything is stressful right now.