Obstacle Coarse

I’m afraid of progress

And walking on the hot coals I’ve laid before myself.

Because I know it will hurt but the longer I wait

The more accustomed my feet get

To being cold.

Some say the secret is to go fast, get it over with before your brain can register what’s going on and before you know it, you’re on the other side.

Others say to go slow, savor the pain and adapt over time so when you’re finally across, there’s nothing else that can stand in your way from going further.

But my toes keep digging in the sand, and it’s cooler underneath

The deeper I sink.

So if I don’t move, I’ll freeze.

And if I don’t move, I’ll be buried alive

In the coldness I found comfort in.

So let me burn.

Take this flesh and start anew.

For I’d rather be blistered on the outside

Than broken any longer on the inside