Ivan's Lament

I've been doing things on the table since Monday.

But none of them seem to be worth anything.

It's like trying to fix a broken car with a pair of pliers.

No one is watching. No one cares. Just me and my tired hands.

I try to do the right thing, but the world doesn't see it.

And when I'm done, I sit there wondering what I've actually done.

Is this all? Is this all I've ever done?

I tried to build something yesterday.

A big, beautiful, shiny thing.

I spent days, weeks, maybe even months working on it.

But it was nothing. It was a failure. A waste of time.

I gave up. I gave up on it. I just wanted to feel proud of myself.

But I couldn't. Not anymore.

I've seen people do better than me.

They have skills. They have ambition. They have passion.

I just... I don't know. I don't have those things.

I'm not good enough. I'm not smart enough. I'm not strong enough.

I just... I just feel like I'm failing.

But I still try. Because that's what I do.

What if I had done better?

What if I had made something that mattered?

What if I had done something that would change the world?

But I didn't. And now I wonder if I ever will.

I wish I could go back. I wish I could start over.

But I don't. I can't.