My life is a long ladder,
A tedious lengthy odyssey filled with trial and error;
A rung could be a dangerous adder,
Or it could be a benevolent angel supplying support instead of terror.

I must climb meticulously 'cause I can fall like Rome,
If I touch the ground I must reset;
With no Tom Hanks to bring me home,
I aim to ascend rather than plummet in regret.

The elements penetrate me with their relentless attacks,
Demons of discouragement and temptation;
But a determined, obstinate human I am and stay on track,
Knowing that God is with me providing hope and resuscitation.

Mistakes are made at times and I drop,
Descending until I grab hold of a strong rung;
A recurring process each time I near the top,
Yet I refuse to yield until I draw my last breath from each lung.

Though battered, broken, and fatigued I am not gone,
Courage, willpower, and tenacity fueling my exhausted soul;
Strangely I smile as I heavily yawn,
Knowing that the light awaits me at the summit with paradise as my goal.