DAUNTING by Ruth Calder Musphy

This poem is about change, challenge and overcoming fear…

For some people, it might be about personal deconstruction, reconstruction, reassessment and moving on - or about leaving the comfort zone of what’s become the accepted and acceptable “norm” in order to stretch and grow. For others, it might be about leaving the safe, anonymous shadows of “backstage” and stepping forward to be seen and heard.

For each person, this poem will mean something different...

It can be daunting, to think outside the box - or perhaps to step outside the house, or even to get out of bed and face another day. Sometimes, simply being human is daunting.

That first step might be one of the hardest things I'll ever do… But if so, perhaps it might also be one of the most liberating. Perhaps it will be the most difficult part - the start - of what will be a wonderful new journey.

Daunting

Daunting, it is,

no doubt,

to step -

toes over the boundaries of

everything held dear,

or everything familiar,

or everything clear-cut and understood.

Daunting, it is, to dip

into icy cold unknown,

or dark unknown,

or dazzling,

or burning,

or shrouded-in-cloud unknown….

Daunting, it is,

no doubt,

to shoulder doubt

and not give it the cold shoulder,

but to hold it tight and run with it -

to dive to its depths and swim with it,

oxygen evacuating your bursting lungs in frantic bubbles

that dissipate and breach

way out of reach…

Daunting, it is,

to see the whale approaching,

to face its widening grin...

and allow yourself to be drawn in.

Daunting, it is, to be spat upon a beach

where the sun scolds

and you don’t know what the future holds…

Daunting it is to step, to doubt, to dive.

Daunting, it is,

at times,

merely to survive…

Daunting, it is to live, to fly, to flee...

Daunting, it is

- when struggling makes things worse -

to simply be...

Daunting it is to be set free.

Ruth Calder Murphy is a writer, artist, music teacher, wife and mother living in London, UK. Her life is wonderfully full of creativity and low-level chaos. She is the author of two published novels, “The Scream" and "The Everlasting Monday", several books of poetry and one or two as-yet unpublished novels. She is passionate about celebrating the uniqueness of people, questioning the unquestionable and discovering new perspectives on old wonders. She is learning to ride the waves that come along—peaks and troughs—and is waking up to just how wonderful life really is. You can visit Ruth and view more of her art on her website, or on her writer's page on Facebook. Her books are available on Amazon, here.

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