I gave up on perfection
Several years ago
I never settled for average
I simply chose to strive
For an ideal
Knowing if I was lucky
I’d get close
To something that
Resembles perfect.
I start along a path
With no single definition of perfect
Only a sentiment
That average and mundane
Could never define my existence.

Perfect is a semblance of extraordinary
As I grip to that ideal
Doubt and uncertainty creep in
Echoes that are barely audible
Mixed with ambient noise
As to mask or maybe expose my anxieties.
So I avoid perfection
Not because it’s unattainable
But once attained
It becomes average,
Instead of searching for extraordinary
I embrace the mundane
Of every day life
Letting the details register
Waiting for the moment
I can offer my help.
I never settled for average
Instead I let the average
Guide my senses
So when something extraordinary
Is required
I am at peace with my environment.

I gave up on perfection
I settled on a semblance of extraordinary
By choosing an equilibrium
Between my inner peace
And the everyday bustle
Of living an average life.

-Vanessa Hernandez