The best is a beast I must slay Living in the valley of expectation And I know I moved myself there. The beast lurks late at night Waking me at three am Giving me such a fright.
I sharpen my swords I ******* my shield And I stay inside. I practice, practice, practice Still, Never perfect.
The best is a beast I must slay, I will not die buried as I lived Wrapped in bronze, silver, or dirt. Cast me in immortality A golden Goddess My dying wish is to live forever.
I study I steady my hand If it’s not perfect, it’s no good. I must be prepared and precise Dedicatedly detailed A single flaw is fatal.
The best is a beast I must slay, I am not religious, but giving up is a sin Second only to failure. So, I practice my acceptance speech I know, I know, I know I will never give.
I know it’s no use I know I’m too scared To ever do anything worthwhile. I fear failure so much I never even try And I wonder why I’m still stuck in this valley.
The best is a beast I must slay This is my life’s goal Because it will take a life of work to get close. So close I can taste it I will probably die An inch short of the beast’s beating heart.
I march up the hill I tell myself Today is the day. I have done this more times than I can remember I scare myself More than any beast ever could.
The best is a beast I must slay, I remind myself of what’s at stake More than the glory and gold. No, I want to beat the beast So I can know I can beat the beast inside me.
The best is a beast I must slay.
I am forever changing my mind on what I want this poem to be titled. I have tried Best/Beast, The Best, The Beast, and The Be(a)st and nothing quite feels right. The best title for the poem is the beast I must slay. If anyone has any title ideas, let me know!