{"sf1_id":2249442,"sf2_id":"nKr7KYam","title":"Tightrope (poem)","author":"Tygriss","words":246,"posted_at":"2025-05-06T09:09:40.000Z","tags":["Meaningful","Poetry","Real Life","Short"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2249442-tightrope-poem","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/nKr7KYam","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/b6/5b/b65b8f46-61a6-42bc-9ad8-9de1f0cfe248","description":"Depression has been kicking my ass of late and just trying to find a way to cope and move forward somehow. Figured I'd share this poem I did a while ago as it is very apt to my situation.","content":"A tightrope I walk, suspended over a pit.\n\nOnly this pit is bottomless, waiting for me to fall.\n\nTo swallow me up.\n\nTo end me.\n\nThe rope I walk leads nowhere.\n\nIt just goes on.\n\nAnd on..\n\nAnd on...\n\nStretching to infinity.\n\nEvery now and then I wobble.\n\nI lose my balance.\n\nSometimes I manage to keep from falling.\n\nOther times it is by my fingers.\n\nGathering the strength to pull up.\n\nAnd resume the precarious balance called living.\n\nMore and more I see those who fall.\n\nI wonder why I haven't yet.\n\nIs it for those I still care about?\n\nIs it a willingness not to give up?\n\nIs it plain old stubbornness?\n\nI can't answer that in full.\n\nIt could be a bit of each.\n\nYou'd think with practice I would find my balance more.\n\nBut life doesn't work that way.\n\nIt throws you off balance more.\n\nIt pushes you more.\n\nIt hurts you more.\n\nLife wants to see you fall.\n\nIt wants to see you fail.\n\nTo hurt.\n\nTo bleed.\n\nIndeed life, in its ultimate irony, can be the biggest curse.\n\nThose of us who are not so fortunate to be gifted into a good family.\n\nInto good health.\n\nInto a good mind.\n\nAre destined to struggle until we get lucky.\n\nAnd for some, luck never comes around...\n\nBut still I shall try and I shall try.\n\nTo keep from falling.\n\nOn this tightrope called life.\n\nAnd just pray my line doesn't break."}