cowardice
by rhiannon macgregor

within this fragile soul dwells a timid fear
that keeps my feet aground and hinders any tread
upon paths i look to with longing, toward which i cannot veer
what is this frightening thing, this inner dread?
from without i shiver in the cold
bound to a heart that won't let me be bold.

with resignation, in humble events i find
joys and woes to placate my hungry soul
as daily my thoughts are left behind
as 'what if's' fill this empty whole
in retrospect i relive every day
and fancy myself bolder in other ways.

i linger over goals that might require
a brazen move, or some such mighty chore
and hesitate until the time expires
when decisions are a privilege no more.
then weep for all the joy that i have missed
in living with a soul thus cowardice-kissed.

about this poem:

one of my less enjoyable evenings, spent contemplating the choices i'd made over the past 16 years and how i'd wasted a lot of time.

rmacgregor @ swbell dot net

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