Echoing Thoughts

It’s a recurring thought – Over and over again – Reverberating in my head, Bouncing back and forth, Reeling up and down like a Yo-yo, Like a boomerang that keeps coming back, Like a song stuck in your head, A thought that gnaws at your will to live, Like an army of termites devouring your soul making you hollow inside, Like the waves of the sea lapping its shores ceaselessly. It’s a nagging thought to just shut off everything, Like turning off the light switch and walking away; A thought to strip off all my worries and cares of the world, Like a snake shedding its skin, And just wandering away, Leaving behind petty rivalry, envy, jealousy, shallow ties, The promises and perils of life, And to step forth renewed, reborn, into a new place with no identity, no name, no past, no aspirations-- just living for the day As I like, As I please, With no vagaries of life, No yearning for paradise. Walking away folk free unrestricted by time or space, customs, creed or the rules of the law. But this thought Like an active volcano ever brewing and rumbling but never erupting, Like a seed sowed with care and nurturing but never sprouting, never coming to fruition. It just keeps kneading and churning Forever bobbling in the doldrums Performing boondoggle tasks Bearing the burden of the world like Atlas, Unable to sigh or sneeze, Fearful that a sudden moment The slightest shift might cause an upheaval in someone’s life. Ah, the woes of life! Why thou linger willy-nilly in my vicinity? Why thou not forsaketh me? Go and befriend the dark, foreboding clouds And burst down upon some distant shores. Let some sun shine upon me, Let love gather me in her warm embrace, Bequeath to me days rife with joy and mellow moonlit nights, Let my path run some distance straight and not twist or turn at whim, Let there be spring in my seasons instead of the cold and bare winter, Let me rejoice in the day’s toil And earn me the night’s repose – It’s a recurring thought, Over and over again, Reverberating in my head... Wait just a minute! Didn’t we go over that already? ~09/10/15 "Inside My Head" contest by John lawless