Poem: Life’s Stresses

Life leans in close,
puts its weight on my shoulders
like it knows my name.

Days stack up—
emails, bills, expectations,
each one small,
each one heavy.

The clock keeps asking questions
I don’t know how to answer.
Time moves forward
even when I don’t.

I carry quiet fears
in the pockets of my routine:
Am I enough?
Am I late?
Am I already falling behind?

Some nights,
my thoughts pace the room,
replaying words I should have said,
paths I didn’t take,
versions of myself I’m still chasing.

And yet—
in the middle of the strain,
there are pauses.
A breath that lands softly.
A laugh that surprises me.
Light slipping through a crack
I forgot was there.

Maybe stress is proof
that I care,
that I’m reaching,
that I’m still trying to become.

So I wake again,
tired but standing,
learning how to bend
without breaking,
learning that even under pressure,
the heart keeps beating—
steady, stubborn,
alive.

Thank-you for reading.

Remember there are many paths back to God.

Follow your own path,

Brenda Marie