Discouragement is a bacteria
That lives microscopically
On the door knobs of our lives
And infects hosts opportunistically.

Discouragement lives in a colony
Dormant without a reason
Wanting to spring to action
Waiting for a time to spread its poison.

Discouragement loves dark shrouded places
Where light cannot approach it
Nor a ray of hope allow
And grows from small to large in a minute.

Discouragement can’t stand optimism
And says it is a naïve
Unrealistic outlook
And will very soon its owner aggrieve.

Discouragement acts like a parasite
Drawing out all joyfulness
And leaving in its place
Only hollow life with nothing to bless.

Hope, the antidote for discouragement
Illuminates the dark gloom
And restores optimism
Making the future a welcoming room.