Failure is a bittersweet tea

that's hard to swallow

if you don't drink it often.

The first dose is a little shocking,

like a small zap sending you

back to reality.

Only later on does the sweetness

ever become apparent--

sometimes taking too long to show up,

like an achievement that's been curbed

by mistake after mistake

after mistake after mistake.

Newcomers stay away,

but veterans of life learn to come to terms

with the tartness

so they can better appreciate the

honey aftertaste.

I'm still getting used to it,

but as I drink it more and more,

I find it more to be

exactly what I need

as my cup of tea

to wake me up on dull days

when I presumptuously think

I've got everything figured out.