Poem: Decisions

I stand on the threshold
Of youth and responsibility
I feel a transformation
Taking place
As I prepare to leap
From sheltered cave
To uncertain ocean
I pray
Hoping that I will
Land in triumph
Not fall into darkness
I must choose now
What I wish to
Carry with me
And what I wish
To leave behind
We all must be free
To choose our own paths
Why is it then
That I wish for once
That the path could be chosen for me
It is a child’s wish
I must now face the world
Armed with golden locket
And Book of Knowledge
Remembering the lessons of the past
Making my own way
And facing my destiny
Without fear or hate
With compassion, awareness,
Knowledge, self-discipline and love
I go forth
For myself and for the world