Just seeking a better life

A raging fire gnaws my inside,
The fiery sun overhead roasts me outside.
Around me the endless sand and brush covers the landscape,
I am exhausted, thirsty and tired.
A victim of my circumstance. I am mired,
I see no way out, no escape.

Once, I lay dreaming if I ever would have the chance,
To make something of myself, hold a steady job, perchance.
Be free from hunger, a roof over my head.
Stand up to be counted, be included as a member of society.
Hold my body and soul together for one day, free from anxiety,
And try not wind up in some dark alley, dead.

I bid my goodbyes and buoyed by good wishes,
I set forth to cross the barren land in between, I was so ambitious.
it was my hope, I would find a job in the land of plenty.
I hear it is a heaven on earth, you never ever want for anything,
It’s not that I want much, just a job doing something,
And beat this feeling of being forever empty.

Relentless, the blazing desert has dropped my companions,
Exhausted, stopping to rest, they never got up, while crossing the sand canyons,
Me, I do not know where I am going anymore.
All I know is that the way is forward, there’s no turning back.
Because, what is back there, won’t make up for what I lack,
Fear of failure is something I would have to live with forever more.

I sit down and close my eyes,
This heat may be a blessing in disguise,
Driving me on relentlessly, I know I cannot rest.
But, maybe rest until this oppressive sun has gone down,
Just a little, then travel guided by the stars until dawn.
Rest for a while, taking a break from this unforgiving quest.

I don’t know what perils lie ahead,
It would be so easy now to give up instead
I will find a way, come what may, I will find the way.
Fierce is my resolve, fiercer still my drive,
You with so much, cannot imagine what is that I strive,
Nothing will ever break my spirit, I will wait for a new day.