The Sharpened Curve Called A Turning Point
A sharpened curve called a turning point
Things that used to fit are out of joint
The road behind seems to fall away
Feeling lost on a single-lane highway
A switchback on a lonely mountain
When it feels like rain, but it’s just a fountain
The sun is shining but you still feel cold
Your youthful body is feeling old
Questioning yourself to find the truth
Like questing for the fountain of youth
You know it’s out there; somewhere hidden
But the path directions are still forbidden
Somehow your mind is surrounded by clouds
Any thoughts of good are beneath a shroud
Constantly finding more negativity
And things aren’t what they seem to be
Your eyes are wide, but vision limited
Answers unclear when you need definitive
Confusion seems your only friend
And you want to try, but you can’t transcend
Feeling stuck in a streak of bad luck
And every day doesn’t go your way
Turning back might give you pause
Yet gets you further from your cause
Look within and you’ll finally see
Instead of doors and a ring of keys
The giant walls built in your mind
Ominous and high by your own design
Every brick represents another challenge
Threatens to take away your balance
But day by day you come with mortar
Creating barriers from your own supporters
Standing in a crowd, but in fact alone
Searching for a crime so you can atone
Guilt it seems has taken root
And if left unchecked will become acute
Your confidence has become undone
You think someone pulled a spiritual gun
Broke your back and now you struggle
Messed up your life, so now you juggle
But look again, but look with purpose
Forget your fears or what makes you nervous
That turning point is just a myth
A tried and true monolith
Instead of growing and moving forward
You’ve painted yourself into a corner
The battle you fight is with yourself
And it’s you; that put you on the shelf
The turning point is just another curve
A wide road with room to swerve
When problems come, just step aside
Your destiny won’t be denied
Bet on yourself; it’s a winner’s call
Dig down deep for your wherewithal
Tear down the barriers within your mind
Face the world of humankind
Pull your head out of the sand
Live your life, and live it grand!
Author’s Note
At times, we all have been out own worst enemy. We perceive things, rather than understand things for their truths. We assume, when we should be seeking clarification. In our minds, we build walls instead of elevators. When obstacles come our way, we often stop and feel trapped, when we could instead find an open path around them, over them, or through them. This poem can serve as a wake-up call and motivator to those feeling stuck.
Additional Reading
Sinking or Surfacing – It’s All About Perspective
- The Machine Has Spoken… - March 30, 2021
- Has Logic Gone on Permanent Vacation ? - March 18, 2021
- The Value of Love - February 19, 2021







I love that last line, Ralph. It sums it up for sure and it is a strong message. Sometimes, our worst enemy is our Self, so we must go within and confront our demons in order to live our lives and “live it grand”. Awesome verse, Ralph.
Very inspirational! Yes “live it grand.” Thank you for your poetry Ralph. Jamie
How true this all is Ralph. Great rhyming throughout the entire piece. Excellent work, good message.