Discouragement

 

It creeps in quiet, heavy air, 

A whisper saying, "Don’t you dare." 

Dreams once bright now dim with doubt, 

The flame inside flickers out. 

 

Steps feel longer, paths unclear, 

Each effort drowned by shadowed fear. 

The mountain looms, the valley deep, 

And promises are hard to keep. 

 

It wears the heart with silent chains, 

Turns victories into hollow gains. 

A voice that echoes, sharp and cold, 

Repeating stories already told. 

 

Yet though it lingers, sharp and near, 

Discouragement is not the seer. 

It speaks of endings, loss, and night, 

But cannot steal the will to fight.

It settles in like winter frost,  

A quiet weight, a sense of loss.  

The colors fade, the music stills,  

And hope retreats to distant hills.  

It whispers doubts in muted tones,  

Turns crowded rooms to empty zones.  

A shadow cast on every plan,  

A question asked: "How long can I stand?"  

Each effort feels a hollow climb,  

Each moment stretched beyond its time.  

The mirror shows a weary face,  

A spirit slowed, a faltering pace.  

Yet even here, within its reign,  

Discouragement cannot chain the flame.  

For buried deep, though faint, though small,  

The will to rise outshines it all.

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Pastor Godwin, FBC Danvers