Written today January 30, 2026, this poem is inspired by an emotion we do not always acknowledge, that being ‘fear’. And yet, fear is powerful and if we allow it, may well control our lives and significantly influence our decision making. On the other hand, the strength we have internally and/or with the help of others can more than offset fear.
I am afraid but of what I do not know
Frozen in the present and unwilling to let go
Is it the unknown or an acceptance of my lot
Why can’t I move forward when life is so frigidly taut
I don’t like my situation nor the limits in my life
I don’t like waking each morning only to find strife
I find myself thinking that my worth is less than I am
All of life’s promise and my efforts no more than a sham
So when the sky is always grey and the sun does not shine
The responsibility for where I am and how I’m treated is simply mine
And yet if I do better and try harder maybe it will improve
Maybe if I dream harder, I will get out of this awful groove
Why am I willing to accept how I’m treated and what I am not
Why am I ready to be live knowing that I’m more than feeling distraught
Why is the truth so hard to face as if I cannot feel or see
Why or why am I so fearful of living life while also being free
Fear has been my driver and holds me in its very vice
Fear has such a hold on me I am ready to sacrifice
Fear of the future and that I may lack the strength to be
Fear of being vulnerable, alone and not worthy of thee
I look in the mirror and see the mistakes I have made
I see all of my shortcomings and how I do not make the grade
And yet staring at me is my inner soul and how I am not alone
I realize with you my God that I have the strength and am not on my own
I have my friends and family, the ones standing firmly by my side
I know of what I’m made of and with learning, I can let go of my pride
I can now see the hold that fear has on me and how I’ve been stuck in its’ embrace
But with a prayerful thank you, I am ready to step forward and meet it face-to-face
Life is too darn short to live with fear as the controller of me
Life with all its’ ups and downs is not going to limit who I can be
I will not let my inner fears or others determine my lifelong fate
I am opening my arms and heart to the future and no longer will I wait