Work is a struggle
school is a struggle
love is another struggle yet
finding the right word
and pasting it into the right place
in my poem
is a struggle
being a Jew
in a world full of Christians
is a struggle
listening to someone droning
on about their own interests
is not a struggle
but keeping that interested gaze
is
a good night’s sleep is a struggle
keeping my memories filed correctly
so that the regrettable scenes
don’t blot out the present
is a struggle
patience is a struggle
and walking away from a
piece of gossip is a struggle
erections are a struggle
when you can hear the
answering machine screening
calls from your parents
kids are a struggle
art is a struggle
knowing what God expects
is a major pain in the ass struggle
but this is the only way
I know how to live
shortcuts never pay-off for me
as I learn most from
mistakes made repeatedly
that which comes easily
is not to be trusted
and certainly is not as valued
as that which is
hard-earned by
calluses and frustration
Don’t give me the answer
I want the strength
and tenacity to
endure these trials
to get at the sweetness
the fruit
the juiciest part of life
I’ll never make it back
to the Garden of Eden
so on I go
by the sweat of my brow
and the ache in my back
and the voice without a face
says “I never said this would be easy,
I just said to do it”
and so I persevere
thinking that there’s a
payoff in all this
sound and fury
well,
that’s a struggle too.
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