A wave came
Washed me offshore
I was Shaken and tossed around
As I fought it, the wave grew more powerful
It said "you'll never see her again"
The terrible wave kept repeating itself, growing louder and more furious
Finally, I let go of everything I've ever held onto
I was drawn deep into the sea
For years I am stranded
A thousand feet down
The loneliness tears me up inside with every tide
Awaking to darkness, I spend my days
Wrapped in my unfaceable fears
They haunt me and torment me
They laugh in my face
I hide from them as they break me down from outside my transparent shell
I'll never come up
Because my fears override my desire to escape

in face of the unfaceable
the wise man would turn
away

take what he can, in what
he can, and leave the fight
for another day

the wise man isn’t losing,
nor giving up, or giving in

the wise man is winning
for with his life he escapes

the naïve boy would ask

wise man what should I
do?

this man/this girl/this job/
this poem/this something
or another is causing me
trouble

the wise man would answer

can you fix it yourself, or
through the power of others?

the naïve would shake his head
no

but what can I do? he would punctuate

the wise man would smile,
putting hand on shoulder
in chide

and whisper in the naïve boy’s ear
why I’d leave it,
what good is a
fight?