Start Over

There are actual
Recipes
For disaster:
A cupful of expectations
A pound of worry
A heap of ego
And a pinch of failure
Stirred together
Make a bitter brew.
The vapors,
Like an onion,
Prick tears,
And when swallowed,
It sits heavy like
A self-esteem–crushing
Brick in one’s gut.
The only solution
Is to throw it all out,
Ego especially,
Mourning the wasted time
But ready to start over,
Mind emptied
And free to welcome
Better thoughts,
Starting with gratitude
For the reminder
Of what it doesn’t want.