1d10

1d10

The classic scale
Of high to low
Low to high
A double digit goal
Now obtainable
With a single roll
Percentages checked
Numbers to match
The parts of the whole
An ominous countdown
To the unknown, dark corners
Of the hidden passageways
That lead to the secrets kept
From those without the seeker's strength

1d8

1d8

Two pyramids sit atop the other
The base of either interchangeable
At the beck and call
Of gravity's whim
Fate's indifference
And Destiny's inconsistent influence
More sides
Leading to more possibilities
But the original four
Are never far behind

1d6

1d6

The standard set
In the mortal realms
Of mortal rollers
Adventures in circles
Around and around
Until there is only one left
Holding the crown
Made of paper, plastic,
And defeated competitors

1d4

1d4

A one in four chance
Melees measured in quarters
Mysteries explored
In the deepest of dungeons
And the tallest of towers
One facing out
To each point of the compass

My Path Runs Ahead of Me and My Plans - Canto Nine

My Path Runs Ahead of Me and My Plans - Canto Nine

From a dorm so small
To a space all my own
My bed, my desk, my closet
My room attached to my bathroom

Classes are harder
As to be expected
Year long friendships ending
Harder than ever expected

Do adults keep friends
The way that children do
A commitment to communication
Despite adulthood schedules

A time of transition
Made all the more difficult
By a population too great in number
To feel outstanding

Is it selfish to want
To be noticed
To be counted
To be known

Is part of this transition
The realization that I am one
Of far too many
To be remembered

My Path Runs Ahead of Me and My Plans - Canto Eight

My Path Runs Ahead of Me and My Plans - Canto Eight

A higher education
They called it
With an ever higher price
Then some could ever pay

Adults as classmates
Adults as professors
Adults as discussion leaders
Adults as coworkers

Could it be
We lose our child's heart
Among the lecture halls
Or in between the novel-length lecture notes

Could it be
We gain something of equal value
To that of the heart lost
For knowledge gained

Do we pursue our goals
Out of fear
Or determination
Or legitimate fascination

Are we not yet well-rounded
Must we continue with the rigor
Of a multiple subject lack of focus
Work without relation to our futures

Are we not yet adults
And therefore know
What we wish to learn
What we need to succeed

Like Talking to a Brick Wall

Like Talking to a Brick Wall

You tell the kids to sit down and shut up.
But when was the last time you encouraged them to stand up and speak up?

You tell the kids you know the answer and they don't.
But when was the last time you admitted to not knowing; opening your mind to learning?

You tell the kids their problems are small and will pass.
But when was the last time you lived in the present; open to new perspectives?

You tell the kids you know best, because you've been there before.
But when was the last time you learned without failure?

You tell the kids it's not enough.
But when was the last time that it was?

You tell the kids they don't know how easy they have it.
But when was the last time you knew something without living it?

You tell the kids everything they need to hear to be broken, so that you can shape them in your image.
But when will it matter to you that who they could have been will now never be?

Children are children
And
Adults are adults

I'm not here to say we lost sight of that at some point.
I'm here to say there may be no goal more important than learning this truth.

Learning is learning
And
Difficult
And
Never ending

The trials of adulthood are not the beginning of the struggle.
Nor is it the end of growth.

I've been told before,
I don't get to have an opinion on this,
Because I don't have children
And I cannot possibly comprehend the challenges of parenthood.

I tell myself the same thing
I tell my students
When faced with a voice
That aims to silence yours.

Stand up.
Speak up.
Seek the answers
And admit to it when you don't have them.
Your problems are yours.
No matter the problems of others;
They're still yours.
Do not live in relativism;
Keep your mind open and educated.
You will never be too old to learn something new.
Who you are now is enough for now
And if it isn't, then it simply means
It's time to grow;
To take your next step
And no one else's.

Live, learn, and be who you want to be.

I do not demand;
I only request
That part of who you want to be...

Be a person of balance in a world of chaos.