Let It Bern

It was the best of times, those first ten trips ‘round the sun,

They say perfection’s non-existent but this sure was a close one,

Yours was charmed to say the least, you’d surely won the lottery,

Spared from life’s miseries, all was fine and dandy, mostly,

Roof overhead, food on the table, clothes on your back, you had all that,

Playtime, gaming and cartoons outside of school, had you a chest full of toys, felt luckier than other boys, you were that dude,

Books by the ton, messing about with your homies, trips to Wonderland, interstate then overseas, Disneyland during early teens,

Those prime years, eighth, ninth and tenth, the definition of carefree, keeping your room clean and your grades pristine seemed your only responsibilities,

Thank God Mom and Pops cared, went out their way to raise you good and proper,

As a lad you wouldn’t have known but it wasn’t easy keeping the foundations strong,

Now that you’re full grown you learn the truth all along, the good life born out of love from your grown folks,

They say one only wants what’s best for their little ones, give ‘em what they never had coming up,

Yours kept you out of Struggle Street, from all forms of trouble and corruption, moved you to a land of opportunities, to a life idyllic and hassle-free,

Though they played around with ya, when they weren’t keeping you in line, surely life’s stresses were never far, dawdling in the backs of their minds,

They, too, shared the good times, looking back, also, with a shared fondness,

But while you got the lion’s share, they enjoyed only half or less,

Couldn’t have asked for better, really, you gotta hand it to ‘em,

Should the day come that you don their boots, hopefully, you’ll do your best, too,

So you best keep ‘em in your prayers, walk with ‘em during their sunset, surely their sacrifices were worth it,

You’d been blessed many times over, Boy, gotta pay it forward.

Another victory, another conquest, they’re calling you the best of the best,

Feeling untouchable, invincible, no one’s knocking you off of your pedestal,

Pushed yourself day by day, paid your dues and kept your peers at bay,

Surveying your kingdom, sitting pretty atop the exceptional and gifted,

Better bask in your glory now, it’s all temporary,

Nothing lasts forever, you acquire losses, eventually,

The standouts aren’t immune, sooner or later your hallmarks to greatness wither away and fade,

No ifs or buts about it, Father Time gives but also takes,

Then there’s your competition, you fended off the majority, now here comes the next wave, passing the bar you’d set previously,

You push and you push, trying to stay ahead like before,

For a while you hold your own, before they shift into another gear, leaving you in the dust, just as you’d feared,

You’d already reached your ceiling, it’s built solid, for you unpassable,

They’re leaping over it, no shame in it, there’s always someone better,

Doesn’t diminish from your legacy, without it there are no standards to be passed,

You set the bar, earned their respect, sit back and relax,

But here’s another fact, the torch must be passed,

No one holds onto it forever, only ‘til another comes along,

Look to the mirror, that’s your competition, forget about the others,

In the end it’s you against you, their admiration are merely byproducts,

Go as far as you can, do your best for yourself,

No such thing as better than the rest, who wants that type of pressure on themselves?

Lift ain’t no race, certainly not one based on comparisons,

Leave that to the birds while you build your own kingdom.

Down to the last few weeks, tenth grade drawing to a close,

Not quite the end of the road, still a couple of years before the final boss,

Nevertheless, junior high’s ending, formal just around the corner, final exams beckoning, prior to graduation,

PE Class on a head-start, a test of life-saving skills at the local pool,

Two days of drills, everyone had a go, an afternoon pool party was the reward,

For teachers and students alike, for a brief period they were equals, some splashed about, others baking under the sun,

In the midst of it all, Brett and his camera did the rounds,

Taking a few snaps, Lord knows what for, yearbooks done and dusted by now, but only the committee know anyhow,

Asked some to smile and pose, quite liberal with the candids,

God help ya if you’re acting out, guaranteed he’ll capture that shit,

Finally met his quota for the day, Brett puts his toy away to hang with his mates,

They stood by the pool, a decision Brett would come to rue,

Maxie Wilkins splits from his tribe, they were camped near a fence

He’s heading for the facilities, had to use the gent’s,

Upon exiting he trudges back towards his homies, but from the corner of his eye catches an opportunity for mischief,

Spots Brett by the pool, chopping with his boys, with a glint in his eye charges at ‘em like a runaway horse,

Beelines for the target, shoves him into the drink,

He was quick as lightning, the victim barely had time to think,

Embarrassed but unbowed, fuelled by vengeance and rage,

Brett springs from out the water, sprints towards his attacker, that fool gotta pay,

Takes a spill along the way, skins his leg but barely noticed it, nor the laughter from his fellow pupils,

Took Maxie unawares, talk about returning the favour, on the grass they tussle, limbs flying in all directions,

Quick as a flash they’re the centre of attention, the jock against the geek,

“Fight! Fight! Fight!” they’re screaming, like the audience from some talk show on TV,

The brawl is on before the teacher’s intervention, demanded an explanation, Brett fired up without hesitation,

“He pushed me in the pool in all me clothes!” said he, resisting the urge to curse,

“It was just a joke,” retorted the other, “didn’t mean to hurt him!”

Teacher wasn’t buying it, heretofore combatants ordered simply to keep their distance, their last taste of leniency before exams come knocking,

Off Maxie goes to rejoin his crew, laughs and high fives all around, while Brett finds his boys, soaked but strangely proud,

Blood ran freely down his leg, his uniform’s a mess, yet he gallantly fought back, had to be proud of that.

Benny never was the flyest kid on the block,

Never the king of the kids, grades all over the shop,

‘Nerd,’ ‘geek’, ‘dweeb’, he’d heard ‘em all, branded every title suggesting weirdness and withdrawal,

Teacher was a decent sort, though that patience sometimes ran short,

Turned into a banshee rather quickly when her tribe be yapping like parrots atop a tree,

Now and then handed gifts to they who pulled their weight,

Worked hard and played fair, kind to all and made the grade,

Benny never cared, his sole objective was to survive,

So you could imagine his surprise, one time, he was announced the winner of the prize,

Felt great to be on top, to the victor goes the spoils,

The underdog crowned the king, his peers his loyal subjects, gotta do as he pleased,

But the moment was short-lived, reality an unwanted intruder,

The home bell sounds and they’re onto him like vultures,

Sore losers and intimidators joining forces demanding and threatening that he hand it over, even though he’d won it no problem,

Voices from all directions got him feeling trapped and frustrated,

Fuck the lot of them, fuck being the winner, turned out to be a curse than a blessing,

Off he marches to teacher, relinquishes the crown,

‘I don’t deserve this,’ says he, she needn’t question him any further,

Takes it back, dismissed the class, can’t condone actions nothing short of crass,

Much to their dismay, moaning and groaning all around,

Just desserts served, bullying can never be rewarded, they denied him of his moment, now they’re paying for it,

And so Benny slinks away, head bowed, thank God it’s a Friday,

It was a bitter blow but the weekend awaits, he lives to fight another day.

If you want it, go and get it, come hell or high water,

You’ll walk through fire for it, fight for it and whatever,

Heard it all before, motivational talk spewed to and fro,

Coming in handy for missions of all sorts, for crusades or when shooting for impossible goals,

They say only the persistent are rewarded, quitters never win,

But how much must one take before they’re permitted to pack it in?

They are lionized and admired, those who defy the odds,

But what of they who walk away, minds changed then switching lanes?

Do they get props for changing course or are they quitters only deserving scorn?

Sure, hard work pays off, the spoils go to those that work their asses off,

But what if you get more than you bargained for? Found out it wasn’t worth the struggle? Prompting a change in course to a destination less glamorous?

No telling what’s on the other side, gut instincts could save your life,

Perhaps backing out is warranted, but when is the proper time for it?

Half full, half empty, is the sun shining or darkness halted?

Given the state of the world today, you wonder how one can act like all’s ok?

Gotta keep it real and see it all for how it is, unlike those grinning ear to ear living in dreams,

But why keep your eyes trained to the grey and gloom? On a constant lookout for impending doom?

To the common eye seems a waste of time, living scared than in the prime of life,

They say they who peer through the proverbial shades tinted rose-colored to match their cheery disposition have a higher chance of getting more out of life, of smashing goals left and right,

Leave a lasting legacy that traverses through time, leave their counterparts floundering, unfulfilled, screaming into the night,

But that’s a myth, they, too, can build kingdoms, all while travelling unfiltered,

Understanding it ain’t all sunshine and rainbows and acknowledging the darkness, embracing what is than trying to paint it a different color,

Doesn’t make them the lesser among us, such a suggestion makes one self-righteous,

Some walk on sunshine while others are content to dance in the storm.

They say loneliness kills, innocuous but deadly,

Likewise they say to be wary, far too many carry hidden levels of toxicity,

There’s someone for everyone, up to us to find ‘em, that someone to build a life with, grow old and prosper with,

But get with the wrong one, that shit’s a death wish, hard to tell friend from foe, makes you wonder why try at all,

Their handiwork insidious, covert at first before bursting to the surface,

The damage irrevocable, often leading to dire and desperate consequences,

No wonder many go their own way, romance is dead, bright and clear as day,

Nothing wrong with travelling on your lonesome, but what of the other option,

The journey gets lonely, might be nice to have some company, to help with day to day living, the teamwork so gratifying,

Provided that love, trust and respect remains intact, such is the case, for the most part,

You need not read them only in stories, look around, it’s possible in reality,

Take your time and find one that you vibe with, never know what might unfold,

Can’t dump all in the same box, to do so suggests the whole race is lost,

Sadly, the mask drops when least expected, villains in disguise win, the innocent left the victims, broken and picking up the pieces.