Life Should be More
by Scott Erb
She walks with quiet dignity
Down the dusty dirt road
Hands worn, tanned and gritty
Eyes focused forward
Life should be more
So much more than this existence
Of that she is sure
But it takes all her persistence
Just to get up and do it again
To go through the same routine again
Once she had dreams
Before the world collapsed around her
Men weren’t what they seemed
She loves her children, but they bind her
So the hope of better days
With opportunities and little luxuries
Gives way to daily malaise
She doesn’t dare wish for something to please
Sometimes she lashes out at those she loves
Frustration can numb even the strongest soul
And though she cares it can be tough
Not to lose herself in this tragic role
Life should be more
So much more than mere existence
Life should be more
Then survival due to sheer persistence
Closed to the world outside
Her spirit has to hide
Whenever those thoughts arise
They do no good
Though as the sun sets on a cloudless sky
Twilight colors change her mood
Red, orange and yellow against a blue sky
The village has beauty easy to ignore
Life should be more than this drudgery
Could her dreams have been mere forgeries?
Condemned to the same routine
Isn’t life supposed to mean something?
She takes the bucket and heads to the stream
Watching the water flow away like her dreams