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Roger Bird

The Pit of Despair and the Cliffs of Insanity

Inspired by the movie “The Princess Bride”


Just as I was ready to quit and give in,

a woman in a wheelchair passed me by with a grin.


“Inconceivable” I said as I took a rest.

Just then a man with prosthetic legs cruised by in haste.


“What is with these people”?, I asked myself.

With no apparent disabilities, I was being left in the dust.


A fellow traveler stopped for a minute and noticed my consternation.

He could see that I needed some motivation and inspiration.


“Those who do not think they are handicapped physically,

may outlast those who limit themselves mentally”.


This was advice that I needed at that very instant -

the thought that willpower and sheer determination could make a big difference.


The idea that the only real obstacles are in our minds,

may help us to understand why we may often be left behind.


If you convince yourself that anything is possible,

you will remove the doubt that holds you back from being invincible.


The pit of despair and the cliffs of insanity

will not deter the person who thinks positively.


The fire swamp with the rodents of unusual size

will be no match for the person who really tries.


When we see someone else setting the pace,

they can inspire us to lengthen our stride and stay in the race.


It’s often the person who looks unlikely to succeed,

who blows us away with their inward strength and outward speed.


Being the first to begin and the last to leave

can provide an advantage to those who truly believe.


The person who works to gain that which they lack,

is the person who pulls ahead while others follow in their tracks.


Those who are “mostly dead” in spirit can be revived

by the optimism of others who are determined to strive.


With this new perspective I began to make more progress,

with a firmer resolve to continue what I started and finish the race.


February 2022




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