a hard life

You do what you know, right?
But what about when you've learned better?
Time and practice can change the world
Choices and change

When you see someone yelling
When you see someone silent and recoiling
When you see someone being mean
When you see someone retreating

What do you do
What should you do
What part of you comes to the surface
What version of yourself do people see

So many trials and setbacks and abuses
We can't even count
But if the tables were turned
Would you want to count yours

Life is hard
It's hard on the young and old
It's hard on the poor and lonely
Life tells us stories we don't want to know

You want more for yourself
But you don't know how to find it
Where do you find lost opportunity
The kinds you've never tasted

You pray.
You ask for forgiveness.
You beg and cry.
You wake up each day and try again.

Until one day—it's all too much.
And you stop.