"You Only Could Do What you Could Do" - Bahamas AI art
©A. Derek Catalano
You Only Could Do What you Could Do
The truth is etched upon the wall,
A simple, steadfast rule for all:
You only could do what you could do,
The compass that must guide you true.
It lives within your current means,
The sum of actions, thoughts, and scenes,
The measured strength that you possess,
Is all you can do, No more, no less.
Don't curse the field you cannot till,
Or strive to climb the steeper hill,
If power has not yet been lent,
For deeds too vast, your efforts spent.
The bridge you lack the wood to span,
Is not a part of your life plan.
Accept the boundary, clear and clean,
Of what your power holds between.
For wasted breath is often found,
In wishing for forgotten ground,
Or mourning magic you don't own,
Upon a high and lonely throne.
The world won't yield to wild desire,
If fuel is missing from the fire.
The peace you seek is not outside,
But where your limits coincide.
The goal is not to force the thing
That only future days can bring,
But to look closely at the space
Where you can make the fastest pace.
What tool is sharp inside your hand?
What simple task can you command?
Begin with what is near and small,
Before you try to master all.
The seed must wait to be the tree,
The current self is bound, but free
To focus on the next right turn,
The simple lesson left to learn.
Let go the envy and the strife,
That shadows someone else’s life,
And find the glory in the climb,
Within the limits of your time.
The small, brave steps you take today,
Are the true distance on the way.
The careful practice, slow and deep,
Are promises that you must keep.
This quiet striving, free from show,
Allows your inner strength to grow.
For what you can do, done with grace,
Will earn you room, and give you space.
So silence now the harsh regret,
And pay the honest, patient debt
To growth that blossoms from the real,
The effort that you truly feel.
For destiny won't be defined,
By powers you were left behind.
Your life is built on solid ground,
By what you could do, safe and sound.
©A. Derek Catalano/Gemini
