Page 49 - My Creative Writing Portfolio

49

I walk alone,
not because I have no direction,
but because I refuse
destinations purchased
at the cost of myself.

I know I was not admired.
I was often dismissed,
sometimes ridiculed—
a hail-beaten tree
stripped of its leaves,
standing bare
against the storm.

But even a battered tree
still stands.

I could not make a compact—
a Faustian bargain
for position, power, money, and glory.
I would not trade
conscience for comfort,
or integrity for applause.

Perhaps that is why
my journey appears slower,
harder,
less celebrated.

But in refusing those bargains,
I kept something intact—
a quiet freedom
no contract could guarantee.

The rough road taught me
endurance without bitterness,
solitude without resentment,
movement without envy.

And though I walk without spectacle,
without banners or headlines,
I walk unowned—
unbought—
unburdened.

If this road is steep and uncertain,
so be it.