Against the Current

Against the Current

He hurls himself against Convention,
Slamming body and soul against the concrete
And rebar of human form and stereotype.
But he fails to make a dent, a scratch even,
For flesh is powerless against steel.
And his bones break.
So he tries to fight Time instead
And he digs his heels into the asphalt
Of Life’s track, but all he does
Is make his feet bleed.
Now, with broken bones and
Bleeding feet, he tries again,
Pounding against the doors
Of Heaven and Hell.
He pounds and he pounds, he pounds
Until his hands are bruised
He pounds until his hands collapse.
And so he falls, beaten
As Time pushes him forward
And Convention pushes him back
And Heaven and Hell squeeze
From above and below.
And he learns that fighting the forces
That keep him in place
Will break the bone
And spill the blood.