Ad Astra Per Aspera

If you look in my eyes and see a man without self confidence
Know that I have lived a lifetime without common sense
Because every time I have fallen I have gotten back to my feet
Refusing to give in and refusing to accept defeat

I told myself it was not my fate to live with the burden of body weight
And that I could no longer live day to day shackled to self hate
And though each day was so very hard I overcame what left me scarred
Once again building strength that has given me something to guard

For every mistake I made there may be a lesson to be learned
And if made only once then perhaps there's faith to be earned
When from a stumbling rookie was born a competent teacher
Who grabbed the brass ring with skill and became a feature

If you look in my eyes you will see a man who has learned a lot in life
And every adversity no matter how big or small contributed to strife
That has molded me into a better man than I was when I got back to my feet
Just so I can proudly say, "ad astra per aspera. And I do not accept defeat."
Copyright © | Year Posted 2021

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