A Single Spoon
My path laid hidden before me,
too tangled by thorned vines
to spark within me a desire to discover
what waited beyond the masked trail.
Instead, I paced outside the entrance of my beckoning path
as I watched seemingly perfect people pass
on their own journeys.
My heart silently wanting to be them,
to have a goal that drove me,
all the while I ignored the screams
of the towering giants of green, who lined my path,
as the community of vines slowly tightened
its grip around their wooden necks.
However, on an extremely hot summer day,
I proceeded on my forced march
to obtain enough hours of service
for the upcoming year. As the sun extended
her blistering fingers towards my neck,
unchallenged by the lack of AC,
I assisted the less fortunate
in choosing furniture to decorate their homes.
There was a moment during that scorching day
when a woman became overjoyed
merely by the idea of finally owning
more than a single spoon.
“Now my family can eat together!”
she exclaimed with tears sparking
in the corners of her eyes like stars.
Her smile stirred a drive within me
that had rested dormant. Her diamond tears supplied
me with the sheers needed to cut
through the endless vines,
the trees finally gasping for air.
That moment awoke the desire to continue
on my path but I now know
the destination of my wooded journey:
to help others.
College, the stepping stone to my future,
will be the next turn along my path
towards my future, guiding me to a career
that helps others avoid deadly choices.
The ability to prevent the dangerous plague of narcotics
from poisoning the future generations
fills me with a burning desire
as hot as the sun on that fateful volunteer day.