Born Into This World
by Michael Doyle

We are born into this wounded world
In which we see the need for improvement
It often feels as if we're hurled
Becoming ourselves is our greatest accomplishment

Grasping for the bits and pieces we can find
That which which we grievously call out as love
We are desperate to not be or feel left behind
Some of us dare to rise our eyes above

Discontent at scratching the drowning surface
Our harshest critics are often ourselves
Needing to felt warmth we seek the world's embrace
Be it the crowd or from books on shelves

A written script of fallacies passes for culture
Making fools of ourselves becomes the essential
Those who wake find this culture is for vultures
And discover the need to fulfill their potential

It's a gambit to find the beauty of tomorrow
The eccentric opinions whisper in our ears
These humble beginnings stumble past sorrow
And point to the best of your and my coming years

Don't pay attention to anyone's praise or blame
True freedom comes from our self-sufficiency
We have been told and it truly is some kind of game
Our victory requires us to move beyond dependency

It is better to die speaking your truth and soul
Than to be loved for something that you are not
Speak who you are to the world and keep your own control
This is how to be memorable and not fade and be forgot

In blind faith, I pass this lesson on to my daughters
That the best they can be is what they find in themselves
I whisper this as my prayer as a loving father
Don't be me but be you and please don't be anyone else

(c) January 3, 2025   Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved