as if time were painful

Photo by Sonny Sixteen on Pexels

you have to ask yourself
which part is reflecting what?
does work reflect life
or does life reflect work?
and how much does being just okay
not really say much about you at all
a small piece of a human being is perfect
but we are more complicated than that
we are manifold, and sometimes we have to
play nice to get what we want…
so go on, may your small talk be minimal
and your imagination be strong enough
to get you through the day…
and ask yourself this:
do you miss all the fake praise, all the atta-boys?
being ignored is nothing
they can’t crush the dream for you — you can
only crumple it up yourself
so, don’t let forces around you dictate how
you live your life, you’re gonna have to go
against the grain, because it’s when you start
seeing the real exit, that you begin not to care
it’s as if time itself were painful
but you must always be celebrating,
that’s the only real way to be a hero

Franco Amati 2025