The Labyrinth of Thyself

Lo, I did chase the distant gleaming light,
A beacon hung beyond the mortal sight.
Each step I took, the earth beneath did quake,
Yet hurdles rose, as if the world would break.

The storm did lash, the winds did roar in vain,
And oft I stumbled, drenched in doubt and pain.

"O heart," I cried, "why dost thou falter so?
Is this the path where all thy dreams must go?"

The night grew thick, and shadows cloaked my way,
Hope dimmed its torch, and courage seemed to sway.
Yet in the hollow, where despair did reign,
A whisper stirred amidst the bitter strain:

"Thou art not lost, though fallen thou hast been;
Rise once again, and claim thine own within."

For in the trials, the soul is honed to fire,
And in the ashes, one rebuilds desire.

"Though goals elude, though dreams may break in twain,
The self remains, to rise, to strive, again."

So tread I forth, with weary hands and heart,
Though storms may thrash, yet I shall play my part.
For not in triumph alone, but in the fight,
Doth one reclaim the essence of their light.

Yet lo, the path is jagged, cruel, and steep,
Where promises like phantom shadows creep.
Each triumph snatched, each victory undone,
The sun may rise, yet hide its warming sun.

"O soul," I whispered, "why dost thou endure?
Is every battle naught but pain obscure?"

And still the echo answered, deep and grim:

"Rise, though the world hath swallowed hope of him.
For he who falls, yet lifts his broken frame,
Shall kindle in the night a secret flame."

The tempest rages, yet within my chest
A spark remains, defying storm and jest.
Though dreams lie shattered, strewn like wintered leaves,
The self persists; the heart its own reprieves.

"So strike, O heart, upon the ironed night,
Though shadows bite, and stars withhold their light.
For every wound, a strength thou shalt attain,
And in thy ruin, rise to breathe again."

"And if all hope seems lost, all paths confined,
Remember—thou art master of thine mind.
The night may claim thy body, crush thy goal,
Yet naught can steal the courage of thy soul."