Poem – The Climb

I’m caught in the crevasse
between my wants and desires
leaving little space to breathe
I push towards one
then another

neither budge
and I’m going nowhere

I can see the light above
I don’t know what it wants
or if it wants at all
but I feel better when I follow

so I push a little harder
against what I want:
a bigger box to live
a better couch to sit
a cooler car
to sit, again

against what I desire:
unearned gratification
the next selfish high
empty sexual pleasure

so I climb
the light covers my brittle head
I feel warm
held inside my gentle skin

the climb continues
but I keep slipping
often times I find myself 
in a place I recognize

it seems futile 
to climb the same space
yet again

I doubt my progress
until I look down
and see where I’ve been

it’s darker 
the further down I look
and I’m entirely blind
to exactly where the journey began

so I climb

sometimes the space gets thin
days when I don’t feel like climbing
or pushing back

I’m reminded 
when the walls of want
and desire cave in
to remember the light
follow the smell of blossoms above

just keep on climbing
and maybe I’ll bloom, too. 

Jason Brendel

Jason Brendel is an author, poet, and comedian living in Austin, Texas. Navigate the buttons below to follow him on social media, make a donation, or purchase his collection of laugh-out-loud poetry on Amazon.

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