
By Michael W. Raley
I failed to recognize my chains
Until I was set free,
Empowered by the knowledge
That I held the key.
At any time,
I could’ve walked away
And not resided in that prison
For another wasted day.
Ignorance is not bliss
When you think about your life,
The opportunities and joys missed
When we are embittered and in bondage
To things present, things future, and things past.
We fill ourselves with complaint and outrage
And wonder why the good times didn’t last.
We fume about things out of our control
And bicker about the politics and melodrama
Never realizing the toll
This takes on our energy and our spirits.
My brother, my sister, my friend,
It is not too late to change the story,
You are the writer who can change the end
And begin to enjoy this one live you’ve been given.