Once, on a path unbroken, a man walked—
Confident strides aligned with dreams,
His better self mirrored beside him,
And the work he needed to do gleamed ahead,
A golden beacon drawing them forward.
All three in harmony, moving as one.

At first, it felt easy, the rhythm of progress—
A steady drumbeat, a cadence of purpose.
The man kept pace, breathing in hope,
Each task, each goal met with resolve.
But then, the distance began to grow,
Imperceptible at first,
As work quickened its pace,
A race he never expected to run.

His better self, that bright companion,
Started to lag, growing faint in the periphery.
The man pressed on, not noticing at first,
But the faster he moved, the more he pulled...