Strugglers

despite all the unhealed cuts and purple bruises

ignoring old wounds and the aches and the pains

staying in the game

creating new plans after dismal failures

willing to struggle for years without success

hopeful no matter appearance or situation

no matter the failures, in spite of the wrong turns

oblivious to the posted odds

remaining focused on the race itself

suiting up despite all the previous losses

beaten often, yes, but not beaten down

bloody but not yet broken

coping with mental and physical handicaps

catching the pack though left far behind at the start

making full use of anything at hand

fighting through the bitter tears

unable to cast aside powerful dreams

never accepting the relief of simple hopelessness

walking bad roads that always seem uphill

sacrificing youth and even life itself

always holding fast to the passion of living

ignored and unwanted

cast off and left without training

nonetheless finding a clear and unique voice

laughed at by the cliques

shoved aside by the powerful

succeeding with the help of a simple but marvelous persistence

malformed, skinny, fat, scarred and/or quite ugly

unable to quite reach the rungs of the ladder

fated often to lose but never able to quit

tripped up on obstacles purposely erected by others

held further back by the rules of the rigged game

forced to seek wisdom in the lot they were handed

downtrodden and forgotten, ignored or abused

cast out without being given a sense of direction

trying so hard, without any lessons

born to those who neither achieved nor were expected

assumed to be dull and lacking ambition

yet roaring up from behind, unaware of the difficulties

left outside too often to their own immature devices

not cared for or nurtured, but ignored and injured

adapting and overcoming, finding a way on their own

rarely even looked at, then laughed at and quickly beaten

not good enough for TV or the groups back at school

tortuously discovering what others deliberately did not show them

often failing, but never quitting

too far removed from the herd to know they could not succeed

carving out their own positions of self-respect and honest dignity

scorned by the fair and the offspring of the privileged

not taken for granted - just not even considered at all

but driven on by a strong but quiet voice from the inside

finding new hope when things have all gone wrong

stepped on without malice and kicked aside with indifference

achieving success and still knowing mercy

living off tiny dreams in an atmosphere of failure

able to persevere despite years of disappointment

achieving, in the end, what the wellborn might scorn as mundane