The Paredes Anthology

BANG!

And...they're off!

The race begins, and I immediately fall to my face,

Crawling along, like I can't find my feet.

The clock keeps ticking, and I can't seem to stop it,

The other runners earning a massive head-start.

It takes a long time, like, a really long time,

Until I'm able to pick myself up;

The years of training never paid off.

Now that I'm up, the world bends behind me,

Reaching Mach 5, I'm now in the lead.

Though I may be short,

Though I may be chubby,

My legs and arms continue pumping,

Pushing me along in this race, for the gold.

I just hope time doesn't catch up to me in the end.

With nothing behind and nothing in front, my mind begins to wander;

School was always rough, never being able to fit in.

Though some would argue I did have friends, and fun,

I always ignored their claims,

Believing myself to be unworthy of others and their sincerity.

The classes were taken without difficulty,

Myself being the one to help others cheat, off me.

I was a pushover, for sure,

Without integrity, I just, kind of, faded away;

It wouldn't be until later in life that I woke up.

Years and years of poor judgment went by;

I never seemed to learn from my bouts of anger and stubbornness.

There'd be a constant fluctuation of friends and acquaintances,

In and out of my life;

I thought I'd never have people beside me again, to help me through the toughest of times.

Done, gone; my reminiscence was over;

The years after were, only, filled with horror.

What had happened will be left to the historians;

Judgment unto me, and everything that happened, will be left to them.

All I can remember, anyway, was heartache, family, and my sister.

The most painful of my heartaches was horrifying;

Events too terrible for me to discuss.

Lost and alone, the dearest people in my life guided me through the darkness,

The lovely Irish one providing the best rehabilitation.

I remember, the most, though, my sister, who helped shape me to become the man I am today.

Chugging along, through the past, my subconscious won't let the memories go,

Pulling my attention away from the race.

Day in, day out, I have focused on the pain caused from those times,

Forcing me to stumble over my feet, like I had in the beginning.

Tumble, tumble, tumble; it seemed as though there was no hope left.

But, then, out of the clear, blue, sky, a black-haired angel appeared.

She licked my wounds, kissed my forehead, and brought me to my feet.

I had no idea where she came from, but I wasn't going to let that distract me.

My newfound stamina set me rocketing past the other racers,

Giving my life newfound purpose.

I don't know where the road is going,

But I know I want to follow it.

I know, someday, I'll finish first,

What with all the others lost behind me.

I will conquer what's in front of me, and ignore what's behind.

This life, what some call a race, takes time to master,

Only very few being able to do so.

It takes the right loved ones, goals, and yourself to win,

Not shortcuts that grant short-term happiness.

Know who you are, and what you stand for, and you'll surely win.