At the Crossroads, with the Jones's

I met..an interesting girl
although our interaction was brief
the tale she regaled
reevaluated my beliefs.

Twas at my mediocre local
on Tuesday last week
that she stole my attention
pretty petite thief.

Her eyes covered by a fringe
like a blade in a sheath
and as they pierced into mine
she began to speak.

~

"I think..I'm confused
like my life's at a crossroads
I'm searching for direction
but my internal compass has froze.

Am I supposed to know,
what do I want to be?
what my goals are in this life?
what are the dreams that I conceive?

See, this year, I turned 18
a recurring thought that fuels my fears
is I'll look back on my life
in another 18 years
and I'll still be sat here
with my intoxicated, sedated peers
with a heart full of regret
and a face drenched in tears.

So I turn my family
as my source of inspiration
but their theory's on life conflict
much to my frustration.

So, will you sit and listen?
adopt a pose of meditation
I'll regurgitate how they live their lives
and we'll begin the investigation?"

~

At this point, I'd had a few
It's possible this girl's an hallucination
nether the less I smiled and nodded
her presence needed no explanation.

~

"My eldest sister is 26
newly wedded with 2 kids
she works in an office
from 9-5 she types and clicks
returns to the 'family zone'
of identically cloned
boxes of red bricks
and devotes the rest of her time
dealing with food, feces and sick
with these responsibilities
there's no time for dreaming
she'll work to maintain this stable life
till the day she stops breathing."

"My brothers 21,
graduated and left home
He vegetates in his 'Dojo'
and is habitually stoned
a struggling artist in a world of his own
resents the systematic jobs
that slowly siphon his soul
rebels and gets fired
and then relies on the dole
stuck in a fight to be free
to never have to do what he's told
spiritually dignified
even if he has to sleep out in the cold."

"My other sister's 19
she thinks she'll stay that way forever
adopts the role of beauty queen
if somethings shiny, then it's her treasure
absorbed by popularity, fashion, being on T.V
to reach the status of celebrity by any means
and if that means
for now
conforming and degrading herself
it'll all be worth it
when a rich man picks her up off the shelf
if shes the best at disguising her true self
she will be rewarded with a life of material wealth."

"My parents are simple people
with great faith in the existential
some say their religious
they'd say they trust in truth in general
that the simple act of belief can
reveal your true potential
and once you start to believe
the rewards are exponential
but faith alone wont pay the bills
that's why the worlds so judgmental."

"Then there's Me
a world of opportunity awaits
but when you have no clear ambitions
life starts to stagnate
I want to break down doors
but I'm still stood by locked gates
I don't believe in superstition
but I do believe in fate
and if life's not a competition
guess I'll just sit around and wait..

For a sign?"

~

I'm still locked onto her eyes
as she searches in mine
like the sign she's looking for
was in the back of my mind
then suddenly I felt a tingle
at the bottom of my spine
it flew to my brain
out of my mouth
an then captured moment in time.

~

"Your family, their strong people
from whom you can learn
they all believe in themselves
and now it's your turn.

Your sister works hard
'cus her dreams are realised
every time she looks
into her children's eyes.

Your brother has belief
and a heart full of desire
his weed might be good
but self respect gets him higher.

Your sister may appear 'fake'
but she saw the world and decided
that's the choice she'll make
and if nothing else she'll stand by it.

I feel your parents are truly wise
I too believe knowledge of self
is the only way on this earth
to find true happiness and health.

So keep your doors open
but don't be afraid to peak in
your sign's hidden behind one, saying
'This is where your life begins'."

~

She smiled and sat back
like what I said had made her think
to cap off my profound response
I shot her a cheesy wink
she asked me to get up
to buy her a drink
as I stood I banged my head
she said
"Your pretty tall for a shrink".