The Gutter

We are all in the gutter
It is the nature we have been given
The status and the being
Each of us the same in our own corner
But all the same we have variety

Each of us is surrounded by filth
Mold that has grown over the ages
Rain that has eroded away the borders of our home
Creatures carrying numerous diseases
Slime, mud, guck, dust, moss, algae, feces, fungi
All of these things are seeping into our bones
The more we see it, the more we feel it, the more we breathe it
The poison loses its effects

Many of us take pride in standing this hellhole
We've grown up here
We've come to understand it better in the dark than in the light
Surviving in the pit has made us strong
It would be the greatest honor only to prove our strength more
Prove it by enduring the gutter forever
You only build muscle by tearing it down
You only bleed enough when you sweat enough
Having no fear to face the grime on your hands
Giving no shame upon the horrors so often exposed around you
This leaky gutter cannot kill a being that was created inside it
It is simply a lair to the beast
Many would stand in awe to know what you have accomplished

The proud grow and the proud die
They've done exactly what they wanted
It seemed they were happy

But the rest of us wonder
The gutter simply cannot be the only existence
There must be greater things outside the edges
What more is being missed by hiding in this miserable existence?
We strive to work our way past all the grease
Through all the gunk and the gore
It is a climb fueled by yearning
Curiosity for knowledge and understanding
If we must lift others on our shoulders first we will
And we pray they return to tell us the good things they have found

Why should we remain in a natural prison?
What is the joy of sitting in the base home
Unclean and rotting?
Shall we reside until we fall through the rust?
Will we shun the light because we've bode so long in the darkness?
Do our complaints against those who rise above serve to be justified?
Is the abomination of pride worth dying in the dirt?

The gutter cannot kill a being created inside it who has learned to live outside of it
It cannot take hold on someone who knows the sky and the sea
The power of exploration has no boundaries and no end to wonder
We can all escape this repulsive prison
While we can be happy being ordinary
It is the greatest accomplishment to become extraordinary