Living In The Mind's Cage

98.

Growing

Better

Those are positive words
That's showing change

I would like to think
That I've grown
And that I'm
Getting better

But its hard to feel that way
When I still have such
A negative mindset

I want to continue to get
Better
And continue to grow

I don't want to stay
In the same
Self-destructive patterns

But am I just growing physically?
With my age
Or am I growing as a person?
An individual?
A human?
To become my best self

To get rid of bad habits
That will cripple me
Into an existence
Not worth living

I've fallen many times
Had wounds, I thought
Would never heal

Scars that will remind me
That I went down a dark road

Into an oblivion
Unlike any other

A mysterious place
That can't be described to those
Who haven't glimpsed it's depths

A place where
We stay broken
To hinder our progress
As people
To be weighed down
And drown

Because it's easy
Familiar

Stories that can't be lived in
Together
Because we're all different
But uniquely intertwined
Just the same

We have lived
We have died
We have suffered
And loved
Again and again

All just to burn at the end
Because fire, with its warmth
Will always look more inviting
Than a cold dark night
Where you can't see
The tears in your eyes
Or your hand in front of you

One foot after the other
We trudge through our lives
Looking for a shelter
To house our thoughts into
While others get lost in the snow

And we can choose
To help them back up
And bring them along
Because after all
Everyone deserves
Another chance

But we get so
Caught up in our heads
We barely see them
Fall down

We carry on
As if we are the only ones
In need of warmth

That
We're the only ones
Who needs saving

Because pain
Can't be measured
By someone else's

But we aren't alone
We are walking miles
Of life
With the ones we care for

And sometimes
It gets too dark to see them

We will walk and walk
Out of breath and hope
Only to stop when we're tired
And exhale wisps of warm breath
That we take for granted

We have warmth in ourselves
That we can share
With others
To let them know there's more

More than the fire
We're trudging towards
Because that fire isn't the only flame

And we don't have to try
To walk too fast towards it

We can take our time
Helping others along the way
Warming them
And recognizing there's still
Something there
Besides what we'll all
Eventually get to

Others will get there
Before us and it saddens
The purest hearts
As they make it there

But we don't need to rush
We can take as many
Breaks as we need

And walk at a similar pace
To others as we guide
Each other along

Life was never a race
So stop running
You'll get there
When you're supposed to

And you can look back
Smile at your footprints
Even if they're bleeding remnants
Of your past efforts

It's important to see it
Once in a while

Because we are
Trying our best
And it's okay to care

It's okay
To let yourself fall behind
As others move along
It's your path, not theirs

But don't try to walk
In the same footsteps
Already taken

They are not for you

~~RDP~~