A Purposeful Destiny

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What I wouldn’t I do to be a child again!

Immersed in my own world of zen,

Running wild and free,

Splashing in the sun-lit sea,

Dancing to my own beat,

Singing a song like a lovely parakeet.

 

I was happy. I was me.

I was following my destiny.

 

There were no lines to color inside,

Only friends to seek, me to hide.

The world was my playground,

My imagination profound.

 

I was happy. I was me.

I was following my destiny.

 

As I became more conscious

Of all the things I wanted to accomplish,

I saw that there are many rules,

Some to follow, but one just ridicules

Stripping me of my play,

Making me work day after day.

“But what about playtime”,

My inner child chimes,

“I don’t have time for that anymore,”

I say, shoving her back and closing the door.

I’m an adult now.

I’ve taken the vow.

 

No one said I’d be free or get to be me.

Time to let those silly dreams flee.

 

So I packed up my bag,

Surrendered my flag,

Away my inner self flew

All the way to Timbuktu.

 

Year after year, I broke my back,

Working to stay on society’s track.

I passed the tests,

Fulfilled all requests,

Until one day I felt a nagging.

I knew something was lacking.

 

I was not happy. I was not me.

I was not following my destiny.

 

When I finally read The Alchemist,

My heart spoke the loudest:

“You are having no fun.

This working thing is done.

You have lost your purpose,

Succumbed to a life of dullness.

But it’s not too late

To redeem your fate.

With me you’ll stay.

I will show you the way.”

 

Reluctantly, I listened. I worked hard

While still carefully watching guard.

But it was somehow the right circumstance

So I took a deep breath and seized my chance.

 

Now I am happy. Now I am me,

Simply knowing I am pursuing my destiny.

 

But not everyone has this luck.

They give up and stay stuck

Always in a fray,

Pushing the inner child away.

 

If I could make one change

It would be to rearrange

The ideas of work and play

And their discontinuous way.

All people would pursue

What their hearts desired to do,

Live out their destiny

Without worry of practicality.

We would follow the signs, discover our dreams,

The omens are maps to the comforting sunbeams.

 

Every person would be happy as the true he or she

Simply knowing and pursuing the purposeful destiny.

 

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