The Well-Paved Path Is Not Always The Safest

If we weren’t so scared shitless

of the infinite possibilities that lie at our feet

and their inherent risk of failure and defeat

what an adventure life could be

Every waking moment presenting us different options from which we can choose

Like an endless selection of stones from which we can continuously pick a new one

to pave the way for every exciting next step we take

The story of our lives

strung together

a concatenation of choices

Yet so many of use choose to walk paths so fucking similar

so spectacularly unoriginal

that we end up dragging our feet over endless miles of stones

polished blunt by the thousands of feet that came before us

And on this well-paved path

where we forsake intuition as the nonsense of myths

and we ignore our natural tendencies

for the sake of convenience

and acceptance

our spirits grow numb

our creativity fleeting

without us even noticing

Our eyes simply too focused

on the set destinations it leads to

destinations we tell ourselves we want to reach

Because that’s where we should go

Because that’s where everybody goes

And as we walk on and starve our souls

ignoring the signs to destinations

that are tugging at our heart strings

we slip on the footsteps of those who proceeded us

Only to pull ourselves back up by handles put there

for that specific purpose

because we know by now everybody slips there

this is just where we are made to go down

See a shrink

take a pill

a short time off

if you must or will

And if makes me want to scream

scream at the top of my lungs

This is not your fucking path!

This road does not do you justice

You, with your unique blueprint, you

You, with your very own personalized toolbox, you

With tools that could craft a path

just. for. you.

that might not look like much to others

one they might not value or understand

which is so very okay

because you’d know it’s not them for whom this path was meant

so fuck it if they can’t imagine the view

from where you’d stand

The well-paved path might seem like the safe place to stay

but please make it your mission

to get off and carve out your own way

Jump cliffs, cut your feet on untamed stones, balance on sharp ridges

get a little lost, craft stairs, build bridges

chase your own riches

Bandage your bleeding feet

smiling

for a few scars are a small price to pay

for memories so growth-inducing and sweet

Safe and polished stones?

can easily make you slip and fall

quietly diminishing your dreams

whilst breaking your bones

Even when you walk it tall

I fear the well-paved path

is not all that safe

after all