All that remains is an exhausted sigh,
The fight trickling out of the heart,
Silent, invisible and intangible
The only thing left now is to depart.
.
There is no last leaf to hold on to,
No splashes of paint on the dying tree,
The dry walkway is calling out an invite
And birds singing songs of being free.
.
The first step is always the hardest,
And brings back lost dreams, all hazy
But the first glance into the open world
Makes the next steps miraculously easy.
.
Like ripping off a stubborn band-aid,
The sting sears and scorches in deep,
But the winds cool and renew senses
To joyfully escape the arrested sleep.
The end of a year, the end of a relationship, the end of a life, the end of an illusion. The first step out is always the hardest and perhaps, also the greatest. Just some musings on that first step and to find the courage to take it.
Written for mindlovemisery’s menagerie prompt, “Won”
Also, heading over to Open Link Night hosted by Gabriella at dVerse.
An Armchair Perfectionist 
Yes any change is hardest with that first step.. The ripping of the band-aid is an image that I will remember – a quick pull or a slow torture ?
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Now that part is entirely up to us!
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Yes, the first step is always the hardest part.. but it leads to all new possibilities.
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Very true! We just need to know when to take it… Thanks Neeraj
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My son struggles with agoraphobia. He is making strides, but it isn’t happening as quickly as other family members think it should. This only increases his anxiety. But he keeps trying, for which I’m proud of him.
http://openmindedsearchfortruth.blogspot.com/2014/11/won.html
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My best wishes to your son… Every step that he takes counts! Thank you for visiting and your comments.
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A visceral and joyful piece – for me, about the very essence of life – loved the poetry in this and will be back for more, for sure… With Best Wishes Scott http://www.scotthastie.com
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Thanks a lot Scott! Have a great day and I look forward to reading your poems.
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Powerful piece there is a very touching sincerity in this
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Thank you Yves!
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An unexpected but beautiful reference to the Last Leaf. O’ Henry was one of my favorite authors.
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Thank you Oliver 🙂 Glad you enjoyed
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The first step is indeed the hardest, but it does mean a fresh start 🙂 another chance 🙂 and you’re right to say that the following steps become increasingly a breeze. Thought-provoking imagery and I especially loved the hopefulness of the last stanza ❤
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Thanks a lot for your feedback 🙂 it sure gets better with every step forward…
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I enjoyed your poem, Prajakta, especially the second stanza. You are so right about that first step. Sadly for some people, that first step can take years.
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I am glad you enjoyed this Gabriella, and you are right. Often the first step comes a bit too late.
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I do think you are right. After the first step, the next and next are easier to take. It isn’t easy to begin, but once begun the momentum continues.
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Thank you Mary! The momentum reminds me of the dominoes falling… One leads to a hundred others.
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ah it takes strength to take that first step…to tear away the band aid that protects and soothes…and allow the fresh air to sting the wound…so new life can grow…
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A tiny sting leads to new life, amazing potential here! Thanks Brian
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I was completely taken by your last two stanzas. Lovely
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Thank you!
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I like the contrast between the looking back and the looking ahead. But my favourite line was ‘The fight trickling out of the heart’ – that really spoke to me and felt relatable and concrete.
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Thank you! So much of my feelings have gone into this poem, I am glad you could relate as well!
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A poem full of pathos, yet rimmed with hope; a primer, a gentle cajoling, for our fears do bind us like invisible restraints. I liked the line /the sting sears & scorches in deep/. As I age, I swear, after thanking the universe for every new dawn, those first tentative steps of the day become creakier & harder.
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You brought a new perspective to this poem, Glenn. To be able to keep moving forward is something to be thankful for!
Thank you for your lovely comments
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This is a poem that is an invitation to those one the brink of making major life decisions, needed changes…full of courage and possibility. Nicely done.
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Thank you Victoria! Have a good week ahead.
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That band-aid analogy is very appropriate. That first step may be painful, but often very rewarding in the long-run
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Thank you Bryan… The reward is worth the pain.
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This was an excellent take on the prompt praj. I enjoyed this very much as you perfectly described the realisation of an illusion. Well done.
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Thanks a lot Michael! So glad you could enjoy this.
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Perhaps the greatest gift of life is change.. as to stay static is not to stay at all alive…
Truly alive is change and embracing it all as we go.. dark and light.. negative and positive..
and what we might describe as good or bad…
The water flows and while the ocean looks the same it is always changing evolving into
a new way of flowing.. in light.. alive.. or waves in just letting it all go.. as what is change
in seas of seeing new in now..:)
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Lovely words! Nature, all around us, has set an example of how beautiful and necessary change is… If only we humans took it as a positive thing, our life will have so many new colors in it.
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That first step is always hard but necessary to healing and happiness. Better to rip that bandaid all at once.
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A rip is all it takes! Thanks Debi for visiting 🙂
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Beautiful*……
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Thank you.
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Maybe it’s just me but i’ve felt that every time we enter a new place in life, we also enter into a new being…and after a couple of times renewal becomes an addiction for the soul.
I read a number of your poems and i must let you know that you write really well. You evoke emotions easily.
I liked this one most.
Thanks 🙂
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You make an excellent observation Yash. It is almost like a cleansing process at times.
Thank you so much for reading my poems and commenting… you are most welcome to explore around!
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