A Lot to Learn

i thought i was finished.
that was my mistake.
the work i need hasn't even begun.
my whole universe is a major construction zone.
i keep taking the detours,
but i never end up where i wanted to go.
i keep passing orange cones,
hoping to see the end of my road,
but there's more work to be done.

the glasses of youth let us see our potential.
the future is a secret so we don't lose hope.
if you were told by 40 you'd be fat, broke, divorced and alone;
your motivation to live wouldn't exist.
our immortality is a mere footnote on a census report.

i had goals to achieve.
i didn't plan for the mistakes.
i let people use me.
i let people hurt me.
i was so broken hearted i could not see
that these tests brought out the best in me.
i speak gentler now.
i am kinder now.
i've turned my own pain inside out.
i've flipped the sorrow over to help others.
my lessons are many, but i still have alot to learn.