My Prideful Ways, a Long and Painful Decay

Through turbulence I must wade,
that rushing water flow
like outstretched claws grasping,
each tenuous stride taxing my resolve,
when life flows against our tide,
and in response we ride the tirade,
thinking we can survive our own
contentious pride, yet struggle we do,
as doubt seeds.

How many times I’ve fallen
to my severe stubborn will,
the challenge a ruse of evidential self,
as if to contend with life bereft of cause,
merely just deserts the course
of my prideful ways,
lost from reason and seasoned
by the force of opposition,
conditioned to reveal my blatant folly.

I wish I could placate that urge,
that prideful stubborn streak
that can’t say no when challenged,
even knowing I can’t win,
seems not to rid the sin
and once again I’m in some hole
I dug so completely,
explicitly designed for my bluster,
my Custer’s Last Stand defeat.

Perhaps it is the show that matters,
the will to stand up and fight,
when flight would appear more erudite
if only I could let that ego go,
and have a cup of tea,
instead to prove to myself
worthy of such decided defeat,
another chance to meet my limits,
and shake the hand of the one who keeps me down.

Fool comes to mind, to be contentious at all,
for all it does is teach us how to lose,
and I for one would rather snooze
through all that fuss and winning lust,
so here’s my pledge, my final loss,
and challenged I can be but not for pride,
lost to my balanced view,
where peace ensues and
Custer will have to stand alone.

Tony DeLorger © 2018

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Tony DeLorger

Full time author, freelance writer, poet and blogger since 1999. Twenty one published works, past winner of 'Poet of the Year' on HubPages, 'Poem of the Year' on The Creative Exiles, writer for Allpoetry.com, Google+, tonydwtf.blogspot.com.au
videos on YouTube and book sales on website thoughtsforabeautifulmind.com, Amazon and digitalprintaustralia.com.au/bookstore

Latest posts by Tony DeLorger (see all)

• Brutal Night - March 30, 2021
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