Poem: Keep Trying

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"Keep trying" said the matriarch
"Giving up equals defeat,
You've come this far.
The finish line bodes better for your future
Than a comfy seat."

The problem, the key issue,
Is strength. How long can I
Keep up this pace?
When my muscles call mutiny
And a nagging voice inside my head
Asks: "Why the hell in the first place
Are you doing this race?"

Children, and all others listening in,
Believe me when I say that
Finishing has better results
And a sweeter taste
Than lying down
In the middle of the mat.

The other Q is: "Really now,
Are your Plans B to Zed
Any better?
What will you do in coming days
With the increasingly
Stormy weather?"

Don't think that life will
Necessarily improve.
Challenges will take on
New colours and shapes
You, you
Must always be on the move.

The proof of the pudding
Is in the ingredients and taste,
My friend.
But there'll be no eating
Unless you push hard,
Real hard,
To make it to the end.

~ Gunnar Våken

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