“Start Again”
9/29/10
Whenever you awake,
instead of playing dead,
you kick-start your remaining strength
to coax yourself from bed,
and wish with spirit growing thin
that you could start again.
So few the years behind,
so many stretching out.
You find no reason left to plod
along that weary route.
For all you see is yet more sin.
But could you start again?
From depths within, you yearn
to go back to the first,
to purge your mind and heart and will
from qualities you’ve cursed,
which scarred you far beneath the skin.
If you could start again . . .
You’d tether all your trust
to God’s unfailing word,
and cast on Him your ev’ry care,
believing you were heard,
so hope would rule your heart within—
if you could start again.
You’d listen twice as much
before you’d use your voice,
and certainly you’d search things out
to guard the simplest choice,
your wisdom lifting up your chin—
if you could start again.
You would renounce despair
the moment you were born,
rejoice in ev’ry gift of God
be it a rose or thorn,
display your full-contended grin—
if you could start again.
But why—why should you
entrust your hopes to themes
like fresh beginnings, second winds—
such adolescent dreams?
No matter your desire within,
you couldn’t start again.
Though your position’s poor,
it still is all you own.
From failure you must yet pursue
your white, eternal throne.
You groan to see today begin,
but here you start again.-Stan Choate
