Valuable Lessons
By AC
I’m not going to be in this position forever.
I’m going to pull through this for sure.
Nothing lasts forever, life is a roller coaster ride.
Just as sure as you go up, you can bet you’ll come down.
All you can do is strap on your seat belt and prepare for the ride.
Sure, your gut may turn and you may scream a little when you downhill,
But for sure you’ll get to breathe again on your way back up.
Only thing is it may seem like the ride downhill is longer than the one uphill.
Don’t worry though, that’s life’s trials and tribulations.
It helps you appreciate it more when you finally make it to the TOP!
It’s better to climb slowly, take the scenic route.
Get a chance to study life’s precious lessons.
That’s what I’m doing now. I’m being taught a valuable lesson.
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The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
It’s great that you are using this situation to learn from. Continuously learning is important!
AC – Thanks so much for sharing this poem. I really identify with what you’ve written and I’m inspired to hear how hopeful and optimistic you are about the future. There are so many times when I’ve felt this way too, like I haven’t been living my life the way I wanted and I’ve found that it is so important to forgive myself for the times when I mess up and feel like I’ve screwed up everything around me. I think your writing and the metaphor you’ve used are really powerful, and I hope you stay with this and know that so many people care about you and support you on this roller coaster ride.
“Only thing is it may seem like the ride downhill is longer than the one uphill.
Don’t worry though, that’s life’s trials and tribulations.
It helps you appreciate it more when you finally make it to the TOP!”
I really appreciate this sentiment. It reminds me it’s all about perspective–and that it’s important to keep focus on the positive, the things we’re grateful for, even when we’re experiencing difficulty. Your poem really inspires me. It is the perfect combination of hopeful and honest; I find so much wisdom in what you’ve shared about enjoying the “ride” of life and never losing sight of the ups, even when we’re down.
I hope to read more poems as you continue to learn “life’s precious lessons,” as you so beautifully wrote! Thank you so much for sharing.
This is a great poem! The roller coaster metaphor is so powerful and true. Even though it is best to take life slow and appreciate the scenic route, it can be so hard not to focus on the drama. But learning to do that is such a valuable lesson. Thank you for sharing and writing!
I really love the positivity that your poem radiates, it is so refreshingly uplifting. You are right that the ride downhill always seems so much longer than the one uphill, but you just got to pull through. From what you’ve written, it seems like you are already on your way.
AC, I really like how your image of the roller coaster carried throughout the poem! “Your gut may turn and you may scream a little” – I felt like my gut was turning then too. I appreciate your encouragement to take the scenic route – I need to hear that! Take the time to study life’s precious lessons. Thank you for sharing – and keep writing!!
I love the hope in this poem , it is inspiring.
keep climbing, AC. Maybe you already know what Dr. King said about “having been to the mountaintop”. But it’s different for each of us, and we can learn from everyone. So I hope you can keep us, ummmm… posted.
G-Pa_D (aka Grandpa David)