The Unfolded Path

In pursuit of promise, he journeyed far, A dual path of toil and academic star. Leaving loved ones, a distant shore, He braved new faces, some warm, others a bore. Hostility's sting, he wouldn't endure, Focus on friendly souls, his heart's allure. Through want and need, he pressed on ahead, Enticing pleasure, a siren he'd rather be dead. Night's silence, his studies' sacred space, Research and lessons, his waking pace. "A purpose unknown, makes sleep a delight," He'd tell himself, through the dark of night. His children's voices, a heartfelt refrain, "Daddy, when?" "Soon," he'd say, in love's sweet strain. Though absence pained, he'd endure the test, For future's promise, his family's crest.