The Ideal

I fell in love with the idea of ideal
Called it my north star
Thought if everything worked out for the best,
the outcome had to look like that: happiness, success, authenticity, kindness

Almost too good to be true
The kind everyone can’t help but praise

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But there was a strange feeling
Beautiful — but that’s all it was
Like a trophy everyone keeps admiring,
yet no one wants to hold for too long
Good to display, yet not enough to live on

Maybe i was wrong from the start
The ideal was never the perfect outcome, from a perfect system
It’s the best outcome that survived an imperfect one
Scratched, broken in places, carrying wounds that never fully close

Not as shiny as a trophy
But as powerful as a weapon
One that brings trust and courage
To protect itself, and others

Because it’s already been there
And no one should have to go there again