Waiting
Life on hold. Keys thrown away.
Can anybody show me the way?
My life is on hold
Still waiting for permission
Never able to break away.
The ebb and tide of life
Have imprisoned me in their fold.
Time and space are not my friends
I’ve been forsaken by all
Life’s been measured so far by
One step forward, two steps back .
Momentum eluded me since
I sought approval from others for
My life as if they knew it better.
When and why did I relinquish control?
Perhaps it was a lack of faith in me
A belief embedded that I willingly
Gave up my right to make choices
And waited for others to give me
The green signal that never arrived.
I am stuck at the intersection on red
Wondering when or if ever
I can cross over to the other side .
Being on hold is draining
Waiting for others for eternity
To show me the way never works.
Since it’s my life and never theirs
They don’t get to call the shots
When I get to start living.
Need to have faith in me
To believe that I am enough
I am capable of making choices
And taking the consequences, good or bad.
No blame, no waiting to be saved
No waiting for permission
No need for approval
Leaning on others to live my life
Was never the right way
To be true to myself
I accept myself flawed as I am
The need to live with intention and
To be present for myself beckons
Done with selling myself short
Done with waiting once and for all.
Time and space are indeed your friends
Without them, we’d miss our ends
Momentum slowly gained from within
By creating and doing
You’ll always win
- Seth ✦
Your poem captures the feeling of being stuck and waiting so powerfully. I felt every line, especially the struggle of looking for permission outside yourself. The turn toward self-acceptance and reclaiming your own choices is inspiring. Thank you for sharing this honest and hopeful journey. It is a reminder that we all have the right to start living for ourselves.