[ The hard road taken ]

The hard road taken
Greeted by annoying cracks
and frightening immense crevasses
Leading to mountainous climbs and
tedious faultline crossings

Gravity forever pulling downwards
forceful winds persistingly
blowing progress backwards
Rendering a blistered,
bruised, dehydrated and
coldly regret laden bag of flesh

Tissue saturated by
the all too few streams
of substance met 
Only enough
to extend living

Their trickles transform
into turbulent rivers
with unforgiving currents
Which seek to suck
the weary under

Inspiring fear and
longing for death
within the same instance
Still, the entity instinctively
gasps for another
breath of life

Energy depleted
Morale defeated
Searching for
some moment of will
to keep momentum
for just one more minute

There is no other choice
Must keep on moving
For if the traveler stops
the rough terrain and
harsh climate will
weather the body long gone

There is simply
no turning back
on misguided decisions
Cannot undue
made actions

So must keep to a
pathway mistakenly but
ever so eagerly accepted
Or give in and up
To end this journey
as unactualized dust

Yet, it is said that
constant hardship
and suffering
are not the only option

Strength and courage
can be summoned
Enabling realization
of the Will's potential and
utilization of possibilities

Freeing the person
to step up and off
an arduous route
long ago chosen
Onto new byways
which offer less
harsh journeys and
kinder destinations

Oh so many things
to consider while
traversing
The hard road taken

If I truly wanted to...