No sleep for hours on end,

Inches away from penning an ode on my bed,

Haven’t even risen to stretch and bend,

Typing away with one hand on my head.

My eyes burning, rimmed red,

But I keep going, I keep fighting,

Only a mere three hours ahead,

For me to feel proud of myself, smiling.

I reach deep inside of me,

To remember why I started this Herculean exercise,

A cup or two more of coffee,

To stay up until its time for the prize.

I remind myself of how fun the whole journey was,

And a smile makes its way onto my face,

Forcing my addled mind to stop finding flaws,

In my work, now time to embrace.

I am happy,

I am satisfied,

Ridden with glee,

I pick back up my stride…

~thryaksha