The daunting gauntlet that was my life
Was full of stress and strain and strife
Felt only pain and misery
Hope seemed a distant memory
It was even hard to lift my head
Or get myself out of bed
Trouble seemed all around
Chains of fear kept me bound
Trapped deep within my lonely room
Imprisoned in a cramped cocoon
Darkness was both foe and friend
Wondered when my ordeal would end
Sadness seemed to be my fate
Thought all I could do was sit and wait
But waiting proved a waste of time
It didn’t change this life of mine
It took some action on my part
A major change inside my heart
Began to fix my attitude
View life through a lens of gratitude
Showed kindness to those in need
Found that included even me
Often stopped to smell the flowers
Put much more joy in each hour
Learned to appreciate all I had
Found lots of reasons to be glad
Followed my passion more each day
What was work now was play
Was amazed at just how fast
My life began to improve at last
Now my life is full of song
My heart held the answers all along
–Russ Towne
Poet's Corner 
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