I admire people who live with purpose each and every day, who do not spend their time in worrying about either the past or the future, but rather live fully in the present. This poem is an admonishment to myself.
in sorrows that bind us
to a past too vivid,
while ahead the future
beckons, “Live!”…
Yet we hesitate,
caught in a web
of our own design -
possibilities of failure, heartbreak, disapproval -
the sticky points
that keep us bound.
Childhood dreams, abandoned,
scattered across memory
like leaves settling on a windless day,
when time seemed unending
and possibilities endless.
Relationships once promising,
built on hope’s foundation,
trusting that love alone
could provide a safe haven;
and yet, they crumbled.
Bodies once young and agile,
grown fragile, as memories fade,
as purpose dims,
as time slips quietly by,
whispering a warning
to play it safe.
Excuses tether us -
to what has been,
to what might be,
to what we think we should be.
But the present waits.
The present whispers:
Show up.
Show up.
Just show up.
Abandon your fears.
Just show up.
Live!
Poetry by Melinda K Zarate
Written on 2026-02-24 at 19:26
Save as a bookmark (requires login)
Write a comment (requires login)
Send as email (requires login)
Print text
Just Show Up
What keeps us frozenin sorrows that bind us
to a past too vivid,
while ahead the future
beckons, “Live!”…
Yet we hesitate,
caught in a web
of our own design -
possibilities of failure, heartbreak, disapproval -
the sticky points
that keep us bound.
Childhood dreams, abandoned,
scattered across memory
like leaves settling on a windless day,
when time seemed unending
and possibilities endless.
Relationships once promising,
built on hope’s foundation,
trusting that love alone
could provide a safe haven;
and yet, they crumbled.
Bodies once young and agile,
grown fragile, as memories fade,
as purpose dims,
as time slips quietly by,
whispering a warning
to play it safe.
Excuses tether us -
to what has been,
to what might be,
to what we think we should be.
But the present waits.
The present whispers:
Show up.
Show up.
Just show up.
Abandon your fears.
Just show up.
Live!
Poetry by Melinda K Zarate
Written on 2026-02-24 at 19:26
| Texts |
![]() by Melinda K Zarate Latest textsJust Show UpThe Ding Captured II On Melancholy Captured |
