Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Follow Your Heart

 
man and woman looking up contemplating a decision.

 "Choices" - Bahamas AI art
©A. Derek Catalano
 
This poem celebrates the courage and wisdom that come from listening to the inner voice, the heart, rather than external pressures or doubts. It encourages embracing personal truth and navigating life’s challenges with trust in the guidance found deep within.
 

Follow Your Heart

When the roads before you stretch and wind,
And shadows cast their doubts on mind,
When whispers from the world confound,
And silence seems the loudest sound—
Close your eyes, let fear depart,
And listen deep: follow your heart.

For in that quiet space inside,
Where dreams and whispered truths reside,
A voice more pure than worldly din,
Will call you where your soul begins.
Through storm or calm, through joy or pain,
That voice will guide you home again.

The world will offer maps and schemes,
Tell you to forgo your dreams.
It'll speak of caution, plan, and chart—
But none know better than your heart.
Its compass true, its pull divine,
Leads not to gold, but to a sign.

The sign of who you are within,
Beyond the race for loss or win.
Beyond the reach of doubt and fear,
The quiet call you need to hear:
It tells you where your spirit flies,
It speaks of love that never dies.

When others scoff and question why,
When the easy roads pass by,
And you're left standing, bare, unsure,
Know what makes your heart endure.
For truth is found in the unseen,
The sacred thread of what’s between.

Follow it through darkest night,
When all the world seems lost to sight.
It'll lead you past the bending trees,
Through valleys dark, o'er stormy seas.
And when the road grows rough, unsure,
That’s when your heart will call you more.

It knows not wealth nor pride nor fame,
It seeks no glory, plays no game.
It’s steady as the stars above,
And beats in time with endless love.
So when you’re torn, when doubts increase,
Turn to your heart, and find your peace.

For in the end, as ages pass,
When all is done and nothing lasts,
The echoes of your choices made,
Will form the path where dreams once played.
But only those who dared to start,
Will find they lived by their own heart.

So be not swayed by fleeting things,
Nor caged by what the future brings.
The stars above, they’ve always known—
Your heart’s the place you call your own.
Its beat, a guide through every part:
So take the leap, and follow your heart.

 
 
©A. Derek Catalano/ChatGPT