Thurman P. Woodfork

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

“Caged Demon” by Roberto A. Sanchez

Diablo Mai TealiLife can be such a wicked troll;
It can demand a monstrous toll
As we traverse its bridges and knolls;
At times it weighs heavily on our souls.

Do we sigh and just give in,
Kneel and surrender before we begin
To explore the possibilities that arise
Just beyond our lowered eyes?

Are we never to savor the zest of life,
Enslaved forever to needless strife,
Because we do not dare to see
The beckoning hope that would set us free.

No iron tethers can ever bind
Us more securely imprisoned than our minds,
Or shackle us more firmly to lives of despair
Because we will not stand and dare

To shake free of self-imposed restraints
Inner fears and tremulous complaints,
Always searching for a helping hand,
Rather than taking a forthright stand.

Free your mind and open your heart;
Now can be time enough for a new start.
You’ll find stone monsters, met face to face,
Are often transformed into gossamer lace.

That looming ogre so fierce and tall
Was just a mirage, after all.
How could we have been so long in thrall
To a boogey man so frail and small?

Author’s Note: Inspired by the essay “Three Ways to Conquer Fear” by NAZIA MALLICK in Ode Magazine on December 10, 2009