waiting to live

The one percent of the one percent 

Ever make it out of hell.

It couldn’t be me, I thought.

But my instincts had me clinging to something

On the edge of that vast, empty chasm.

“You have to climb, and climb, and climb 

And never give up”

Shouted the many voices of my heart and

The friends who didn’t make it out

And won’t ever have the chance again.

My fingers cracked and bled,

My muscles burned and tore.

When my energy ran out

By some miracle I found more.

And more, 

And more.

And that pin’s width of light grew,

Oh how the birds sang at last 

As I burst into the sun again!

And finally, for myself and nobody else I smiled 

Truly, freely, and weightless

For the first time in 25 long, long years.

And I could feel deep down

This newfound light reached 

Even those who aren’t around to see it

Through the window in my heart.

Those guardian angels, whose energy I borrowed

To find a joy I could have never imagined

Will follow me until the end of days

And live on through my deeds.