Poem:

NO!
I can’t try my best
I’ve spent my whole life
trying my best
and all I get is a pat on the back
and stress

People always tell me I’ll place well
if I just put in everything I have
But the thing about giving everything
is that you’re left with nothing
I try to believe them
I put in all I can spare
and in return I get a sliver of confidence

But then the judging happens
and I don’t even get an honorable mention
My sliver of confidence get crushed
And so do I.

Trying your best is like planting the seeds for a forest and dropping a Nuke on it
Not only does it demolish what is growing,
it destroys any possible growth for the foreseeable future

I learned the hard way that if you set the bar at the cosmos
you’ll always be reaching for the stars
but you’ll barely ever reach them
instead you’re always second best

But…
if you set the bar at the bottom
you will ALWAYS reach your goal
and you’ll almost always exceed your expectations

But maybe, just maybe
It’s not the bad that matters

Maybe it’s the growth that sprouts
from the ruins
that matters the most

where the long lost seeds can
resprout in their own time
growing into something more wonderful
then anything previously imagined

Maybe the new tress will finally
allow me to breathe again
To see the worth in trying,
not just in winning

Sometimes what survives the Nuke,
what thrives in the aftermath,
is stronger than what was planted.