Standing tall

through a  lifetime of  blows

determined

not to go down

and yet sinking deeper

with every breath

until I got so deep

I couldn’t tell

which was up or down

light or night

fight or flight

Monsters kept at bay

will not be scared away:

Pain

Fear

Anger

Sadness

are lurking from the shadows

to sneak up on you

and deliver their message

Defeating monsters 

means facing them

The only road away from them

runs right through them

So I roam the dusty roads,

travel the swamp

across wooden pathways

and find myself

between water and woods,

shadow and sunlight,

undergrowth and sky

In twitter silent

birdsong filled

solitude

I feel my pain

I fight my fears

I rage my anger

I cry my tears

and leave it all behind