The World Didn't End

[I didn't realize until it was too late that I failed to write a poem for yesterday.  I have OCD, so I'm upset about it, but I'd imagine that NaPoWriMo is more lenient than that.  After today I'm still going to try to write exactly one poem every day--no more, no less--for the remaining 13 days of April, but I'm going to hope that I didn't fail the challenge already simply because I forgot to write a poem yesterday.  I'm going to hope that the rules are more lenient than that, as they are for National Novel Writing Month, aka "NaNoWriMo", so that as long as I've done 30 poems this month I will have managed it.]

The World Didn't End

by Michael Espinoza

You're in a rut.  Things don't go well.

It feels like hell, and you can't shake it.

Opportunity arises.

It surprises you--you take it.

And you find you have the skill!

So now you will go further, higher!

You've come far and you're a hero!

Never fear, oh man on fire!

Then come greater obligations.

Now the nation's wanting you.

But how could you expect this much?

Had you known such, what would you do?

You might have chosen different plans.

You wring your hands as pressure mounts.

And now the peak's in sight at last.

The rest is past--this moment counts!

Your friends depend on you to win--

Your voice feels thin, you sweat a lot.

The part you need to win is here!

You know it clear--but you forgot.

You blew it just before you'd won.

First place is gone--it's over now.

You'll never get this chance anew.

How will you do it over?  How?

You want to be alone, and not

To do a lot you did before.

How can you face the world anew?

You feel so blue now, more and more.

But you can't live like this forever,

Getting never out of bed.

Eventually you must come out--

You must be stout, and clear your head.

And then a miracle ensues:

You find your blues just fade away.

Your friends, instead of being mad

At you, have had a normal day.

For them it's back to normal now.

You know not how, but life goes on.

If it improves your mood to hear it,

That's the spirit--you have won!