I see no shame in being
able to say, forthrightly,
"Life kind of sucks,
a lot of the time, actually...
but I can still give it my best
and savor the good parts
and make peace with the inbetween
and fight my way through
the darkness."
Being a realist doesn't mean
that I'm apathetic or
resigned to failure;
it simply means that my best
is good enough
and I acknowledge hardship
for what it is; a natural part
of life.
No ribbons or flowery fantasy
required.
We are all of us
able to see the darkness
without being consumed by it.
***
