The Awakening

Sitting beside the solemn river
And listening to its crackles,
The realization makes me quiver
That I am born free, yet bounded by shackles.
Can I change my destiny, my fate?
Act here and now, before it's too late.

To traverse the path strewn with dainty roses
And awaken to a new, salubrious dawn,
Work assiduously till the day closes
With more poignance and substance, and less fawn.
Can I find roses without thorns?
But, I'm ready to take the bull by the horns.

Nothing worthwhile has come easy, nothing ever will;
It's time to sound the gong, and beat the battle drum;
My inner demons have lived long, they need a bitter pill;
There's more to life, and the best is yet to come.
Can I re-discover the child within me, the spring of joy?
I want to be myself, and give my best try.