Pathetic (Ways) — New Poems

They whisper of the path—
 the one paved with anxiety and Amazon boxes.
 It brings “security,” they say—
 like a seatbelt on the Titanic.
 Follow the path that parades your past mistakes
 like they’re vintage accessories.
 Look! Trauma, now in retro!
 Follow the path to your “best self”—
 as if you’re a broken IKEA shelf
 that just needs a few screws and positive affirmations.
 The universe hasn’t given up on you, no—
 it just outsourced your destiny to an unpaid intern named Kyle.
 Now you’re on a joyride through metaphysical potholes.
 Why let your ego take over?
 Because letting logic drive was getting too predictable.
 And pride? Dignity?
 They’re just marketing terms in the self-help aisle.
 We live in a judgmental theme park
 where justice is out of order
 and the funhouse mirrors only reflect
 your most inconvenient truths.
 So you clutch your “integrity”
 like a clearance-rack luxury item,
 convinced that holding on makes you whole—
 while the damage quietly mutates into something you’ll call
 “character development.”

 Storms will come.
 Even when you’re just whispering peace to yourself.
 Even when you meant well.
 (Especially then.)
 So remember this:
 society moves in three acts—
 Achieve, Perform, and Pretend to Resist.
 And still—
 to conquer your demons?
 You’ll need more than sage and soft lighting.
 To conquer is to achieve
 (in silence, when no one’s clapping),
 to conquer is to carry out
 (the messiest truths),
 and to conquer is to resist—
 especially the comforting lie
 that you’re already free.