Adversity

By Cheryl Anne Merrick

Even the thought of meeting you was enough
to send my young heart racing in fear.
Soon though, we did meet.
I tried to race past you,
but you wanted us to spend time together.
I saw you as an enemy determined
to hinder all my hopes and goals.
I sought to gain your favor by bargaining
if you would just leave me alone,
I would devote my life to good deeds.

As days became years,
I came to realize that you didn’t “do deals”.
Grudgingly, I began to accept your constant presence,
and my fear gave way to reluctant appreciation.
It was true you were helping me to develop new strengths,
so I endured your presence,
feeling I could progress even faster without you.
Later, as the years massed into decades,
I continued to long for the day we would part.
Finally the day came.
Feeling free at last of your ominous presence,
I dared to look into your eyes,
the eyes of my cold, demanding taskmaster.
Startled, I found my eyes held in the tender gaze
of someone who knew me and loved me.
At last, I realized that through all these years
you were not a feared torturer,
or even a harsh teacher,
but my most devoted friend.