I Challenge You

Are you listening?
Are you frightened by the sound of
time rushing, whispering?
Can you hear it now,
the anxious cry to be
something else while you can?

Are you happy there, with a vacant stare?
Can you even imagine,
a slice of the world in your hands?
A lost cause? you feel hopeless.
You don't have to be helpless,
or do you?

You laugh at your misery,
dance while in agony,
but the show's just for you.
And the applause is dying,
your "fun" is running with the tears
on your bitter face.

Don't follow your dreams
they won't move on their own,
If only you'll lead them, they'll go where you go.
I won't pretend to empower you
for all I can really do is
speak the truth, and challenge you.

I challenge you to trust
to be hurting if that's what it takes,
to be strong, to walk on for a while.
What can change
if the view stays the same?
I challenge you.