Moving On (Poem)

Three steps forward and two steps back
Is still one step onward and an inch on the map

But one step onward is still far in between
A run of the mill life and the American dream

The difference between a superficial smile
And a cold adolescent stare is like pursuing a dream
When no one seems to care

So hard to decipher
Between what is and what ain’t fair

So hard to stay focused
When they strip these cold streets bare

So hard not to unravel
When you’re rolling down a hill

And so hard to pass a check
When you don’t fit the bill

Moving on is a triumph that too many have laid to rest
It’s like the disfranchisement of old time Southern Blacks

So easy to be rejected
When you don’t pass the test

So easy to lose yourself
With your whole family laid to rest

And so easily pushed over
When you don’t have an ounce to stash

But moving on is like keeping on
When you keep on moving on

Then you’ll move on just to keep on
And if you don’t die you’ll be strong

Keeping on is a principle that no one can escape
And moving on is a triumph
Best to move on than to break