The universe works

In mysterious ways

It can light up your night times

Or darken your days

There are lessons and reasons

Often stuck between lines

Don’t just skip or glance over

Pause and give them your time

For upon much reflection

Digestion and care

You will see silver linings

That have always been there

Your path is yours only

You’re meant to be here

Your joys and your sorrows

The pleasures and fears

Your heartaches and questions

The suffering, too

They are shaping you always

And making you, you

You can let the world break you

Make you callous and cold

Or allow it to build you

Become strong, remain bold

And when darkness knocks

On your doorstep, it stands

You don’t have to embrace it

But please offer your hand

For there’s just as much good

In the bad that we face

We can’t turn it away

It would be a disgrace

For without any darkness

We wouldn’t feel light

Dawn is the promise

In the longest of nights

So listen more closely

There’s a song in your heart

Sometimes you’ll forget it

When falling apart

But the beat there is steady

A rhythm, keeps time

A constant companion

To keep you in line

There are rhymes in the reasons

Like seasons, we change

Unlike puzzles, we’re fluid

Pieces can re-arrange

So trust in this process

Have faith in your heart

Your path is yours only

With an end and a start

It’s the long stretch between them

That will threaten

And bend

Pull your socks up

Keep going

Don’t give up, or pretend

Roll with the punches

Some you’ll give, some you’ll get

Catch your breath

Dust yourself off

Don’t get lost in regret

And when the path forks

(And I promise, it will)

Sometimes you’ll just know

But in others, be still

For this isn’t a race

Or a contest to win

Take a breath

Trust your instincts

Choose a side

and begin