“I get told on a daily basis: ‘It’s okay, you’ll get there – just carry on!’ But will I? Can I? It all depends on the choices I make and the results I guess. I’m on a precipice right now. I must make a choice and jump one way or another in the coming days. Choice one may lead to success and possible further failure. Choice two is to ignore the opportunity and protect myself from the pain of failing once more by never trying again. What choice should I make?“
I wrote this poem in answer to the following prompts:
Pensitivity’s three things challenge – Burnout – Choices – Frustration
FOWC with Fandango — Quagmire
Your Daily Word — Amble
Just Carry On
We amble through life
Living on the edge of a knife
Our choices and desire
Chances to fall into a quagmire
We work hard day and night
Frustration builds yet we fight
Our reward a mental burnout
Decisions: dig in or drop out
Choices and career paths
Moves akin to a game of draughts
Select well and you might win
Go wrong, fall in the failing bin
Ignore the quagmire’s pull
Amble on, live life to the full
Frustration and burnout be gone
Take a deep breath – carry on!
Thanks for reading my friends.
There’s more in the Poetry Corner, Short Stories. and Short Stories 2 and Short Stories 3 tabs.
Have a great day!
Masons Menagerie 
That’s a no contest.But you already know what I think. Stick or twist?
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I do, thank you, Pete.
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The saying “it’s better to have loved and lost, than to never had loved”
Life is always full of rejections. Accepting that, living life becomes easier (I think)…. or if you don’t try, you’ll never know.
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For sure, thanks Ruth. I just feel I’m taking a massive risk having taken so long to recover having failed last time. I don’t if I can recover if I fail again.
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To try and fail is better than to not try at all. May I make a suggestion?
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The old addage always rings true. Of course you can make a suggestion. Thank you, Ruth.
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I think your thinking about failure needs to change. It should not be a life and death “thing.” I wonder where this thinking comes from? What if you changed your narrative? Who (head voice) is telling you that if you don’t succeed it will kill you? Writers get many many rejects some never make it big. You just keep trying. I know you know this, and it’s hard. Sure, disappointment will come, but it should not be a death sentence. 🙏🏻
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Thank you, Ruth.
The life and death bit for me comes from the dark mental place each failure put me in. Losing a friend with the failure last time put me in the darkest yet. TOok me seven months to feel happy to write again after that one. So that’s the thing. I’m happy writing for my blog now. What if I do fail again. I lose that, I get depressed again,. who knows how dark I might get this time. Is it worth the risk? That’s what I have to decide upon.
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I think talking to a professional is what needs to happen, I say with caring! 💕
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Oh I do. I have a councilor with the same name as my dog funnily enough. Writing is supposed to be good for the soul, a pleasure. Publishers, editors and reviewers take all that away in a heart beat and then move on to wrecking someone elses lives. Its a shame really.
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I hear you! I’m so glad you have someone to talk to!
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Thank you. I have Lucy and some real great writing friends that help so much.
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