Elise Skidmore

It’s a good thing I’m an optimist or I’d never accomplish anything. Today marks the end of the November PAD challenge and I’m proud of myself for managing to complete 30 poems in 30 days—especially when I was away celebrating Thanksgiving with my family for 4 of those days. We never know what we can do until we give it our best try. Thanks to all of you who keeping popping in to see what’s new. I hope we’ll all be wearing our Optimist’s Hats as we enter into the homestretch of the year.

An Optimist's Dream

We hear about happy endings all the time,
and I suppose there are some genuine
happily ever afters, but it's all perspective.

The prince rescues the princess, they marry, 
and everyone celebrates.
The evil overlord is defeated 
by a little troop of courageous people,
small and ordinary in their day to day;
the world as they know it is saved,
and everyone celebrates.
You rarely hear about 
what comes after the happy ending.
Certainly life can't be perfect forever after.
There have to be more trials to overcome,
even it they're only the sort we all face.
Life would be boring without them.

But here's the thing;
every ending is the start of a new beginning,
where nothing is impossible 
and expectations are fathomless.
Though they don't always look bright,
beginnings are an optimist's dream.
Whatever it's the start of
there's a world of possibility ahead
just waiting for us to reach out and take hold.
The road may have its bumps,
in fact navigating those bumps 
is what makes us grow and shine.
Beginnings are new life.
Beginnings are hope 
waiting to be fulfilled.
Throw open the gates
walk into the future.

~Elise Skidmore ©2021