The Only Road

If you do not love hard
You die a slow death
Languishing atop barren dreams
Slouching below absent heartache
We miss the beauty
When we shield the pain
Bittersweet paradox.
Safety is the bedfellow of regret
Avoidance is the bedfellow of malaise
Living without abandon;
It is the only road I would walk.
I would take each heartache again
Innumerable times
Every feeling
Each sigh
Emotive cacophony
While my ears are ringing
And my eyes are weeping
I am grateful
That I have experienced this chaotic range
This symphonic wave of feeling;
It is the only road I would walk.