“A whole new beginning, ” they say <br />with an overenthusiastic smile, <br />like clowns at a child’s birthday party. <br />You know the ones, a bit too excited for reality, <br />who end up scaring otherwise blissful kids out of their element. <br />“What an exciting opportunity for you. <br />Like being the captain of your own ship, ” <br />so the story goes. Funny, I feel more like the barnacles <br />on the bottom of that boat, suddenly scraped <br />from their sweet, slimy comfort zone, drifting <br />into the abyss of ‘exciting opportunities’ below. <br /> <br />What ever becomes of those little beads of the sea? <br />Do they surrender to the surf and flounder, <br />or seek out a new happy place and settle, <br />unaware of the inevitable Grim Scraper, <br />unable to grasp the concept of “life’s a bitch”? <br />I would like to trail one; maybe he has some advice for me. <br /> <br />Surveying my new harbor, I suddenly realize <br />how much less impressive a destination can be <br />from its image or reputation <br />when you’re not just visiting. <br /> <br />I suck in a deep breath of new air, <br />visualizing the old sailing out as I exhale. <br />Time to give it a go, I say aloud. <br />After all, I’m waist deep in it already. <br />Just hold your breath and jump, I think to myself. <br />I close my eyes, and pretend I’ve done it all before. <br />Cover me, I’m going in.<br /><br />Lori Boulard<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/and-what-have-i-done-to-deserve-this/
