Tag: moving on

Square Peg #poem

I am the square peg in the round hole:
jammed in,
stuck fast,
placed by youthful naivety,
forced down by the weight of expectation,
held in place by the pressure of life’s demands,
and hammered home
by the repeated blows of round pegs that,
although appearing far too large
to fill such a seemingly trivial space,
are really too small to even touch the sides.

Yet, even in the tightest grip
it is possible to wriggle and writhe –
tiny movements that, though causing damage, breaks, and pain,
gradually,
imperceptibly,
ease the bind.
The needle must break the cloth to form the stitches of repair.

I am still the square peg,
plugging the round hole,
missing parts of my surface,
diminished,
and wearing hidden scars,
but now I have worked my way loose.
And though I cannot know the planes and slopes
of the land that lies outside,
I have seen it in glimpses,
and I am ready to slide out,
with freshly rounded corners,
ready to roll.

(c) Tim O’Hare, September 2023

SQUARE PEG: This is another poem that came up on me out of nowhere and very fast. In some ways it is a direct continuation from my poem It Is Time, but whereas that poem is about recognizing that a point of arrival has been reached, Square Peg is more about being ready to start out on the next part of the journey.

It Is Time #poem

It is time to banish thoughts of giving up,
to be replaced by the comfort of giving in –
acceptance rather than flight,
to fold back the shutters,
emerging from the dark of night –
allowing in some light.

It is time to cease the role of the bully,
forcing the fearful child within
to be the man he thought he should.
Instead, enfolding in a loving hug
to draw out all he could have been.
If only he had understood.

It is time to give the boy a chance,
to give him space to play his part,
to let him fall and graze his elbow – blood and gravel –
even though tears may flow.
He may be strong enough.
How else will we know?

It is time to take those steps
that cross the threshold of the door,
to find that it was open all along –
never locked – and behind it?
The voice of the song oft heard,
though always sounding slightly wrong.

It is time to push on through the fog,
that cloak of damp that so confuses senses,
seeking clearer skies,
different colours, other forms
to try on for size.
Who knows how those choices may surprise?

It is time to give in,
not to temptation, hopelessness or terror,
but to follow the path
to those imagined lands,
shaping their form with my own hands.
Finally, he understands.

(c) Tim O’Hare, August 2023

IT IS TIME: This poem came completely out of the blue, coalescing onto the page in less than an hour. It reflects a big decision made on the previous day – to signal that I must let go of a big role at work, to stop fighting with the thought that to do so was some kind of failure, and to just accept that I no longer have it within me to push and cajole or fight with myself anymore.