A Portal Opens

A portal opens.

I find myself forced through it.

The portal closes.

I land in darkness.

A barren land stretches here,

catching those who fall.

There is no sunlight,

nothing to look forward to,

not a shred of hope.

I heard an old man,

a driver of sixty-five,

wants just a bar stool.

He will sit and drink,

wait for death to pull his card,

and go quietly.

I know a young man,

not much older than myself,

already quite worn.

Many jobs he's known,

yet he has no long-term plan,

I worry for him.

I looked at myself,

saw so much wasted schooling,

yet I keep my hope.

I have been lucky,

my parents quite lenient,

and my bills quite low.

I have what few have,

some time to fix my whole life,

I will not waste it.

I just need a job,

one to lead to another,

to establish me.

A portal opened,

one that leads to school and work,

I will jump through it.

I will work harder,

I'll study more carefully,

and I'll keep my hope.