Another day, another to-do list
Two pages long, fists start to clench
Endless effort, you do your best
And at the end of the day, some are left unchecked.

You say: “I must do better tomorrow,                      
I should have gotten more done,
I really tried my hardest,
But I only finished some.”

A day full of work, but the tension remains
Your clenched fists aren’t relieved

Saying “only, but, should” and “must”
Only minimize what was achieved.

Perfection is ideal, but not attainable

And that is okay.

Do what you can, but take care of yourself.
Tomorrow’s a new day.

Dear stranger, please be kind
I had another stressful night
I couldn’t sleep, this makes night nine
Dear stranger, please be kind

Dear stranger, please be patient
I can’t think straight, I know you hate it
My thoughts and words can’t find their placement
Dear stranger, please be patient

Dear stranger, please be gentle
I’m already broken, trying to reassemble
I know it’s easy to be judgmental
But stranger, please be gentle

Dear stranger, please understand
I am doing the best I can
I can only carry so much with these hands
Dear stranger, please understand

It takes more effort to be kind than cruel
But why should effort decide the rules?
We all have a load so heavy
Why make it harder to carry?

Sitting in the audience
And watching life pass you by
Like a film on a screen
You're in scene after scene
Yet somehow, you're not the spotlight

Better at drifting than chasing
Tending to settle, not strive
Better at leaving than trying
Empty, yet unconcerned why

If you only take what you’re given,
You’ll have some smiles I’m sure,
But peace, pride and fulfillment
Won’t come if you don’t make them yours

Walking, drifting, watching, seeing
Are you living or only being?
Want, look, find, chase
Run from the audience and jump on stage

Maybe the one talked over and hushed
Grew up to be quiet, reserved
Trying to develop a voice of their own
But it was never heard

Maybe the one seeking attention
Spent their life being ignored
Experiences shape perceptions
And perceptions shape our world

But this is where we start, not end
After all, we're not cement
We change and bend and learn and grow
We can end above and start below
Beliefs can change and so can we
What we were, we don't have to be

Don't chase, value, love or need
Mass produced replacable things
We seek with hopes they'll make us whole
They'll fill your house but not your soul

Don't skip the ocean to buy souvenirs
Or that's all you'll have in 20 years
Memories, people, experiences, time
You can buy more decor but clocks can't rewind

Some like to live by following lists
To decide what's good enough,
Trusting the rules, the "shoulds" and ideals,
Not heart, intuition or gut.

Rulebooks and list have a time and place,
A purpose, a reason, a use,
But if unhappy we aren't let down
We just list another excuse.

"He's so nice, I must be wrong,
This job should be my dream."
Following lists can lead to smiles  
But they won't make you beam.

To find your own fulfillment,
Don't follow a recipe,
Or assume it is one size fits all,
Don't take your happiness lightly.

So yes, you can follow a guide
Of where you think you should go,
You can settle for things that make you content
Or wait for what makes you glow.

You'd melt me to a puddle,
And stomp through me in boots,
Then politely clean me up,
No wonder I was confused.

A small collection of water,
Weak and backless with no voice,
Stomped through, walked on,
I forgot I had a choice.

Once a passive puddle,
But now I am the rain,
Do you know what rain erases?
The flame.

No more power over me,
I'll choose when I fall,
And by fall I mean pour,
And by pour I mean stand tall.