Spotting Patterns

A poem about word searches.

Word searches are just like life.

They start off a mess, and it is your job to make order out of the chaos.

At first, it’s hard to find anything, but then suddenly, you see three words in a row.

Does the one success sharpen your awareness, priming you for more?

Or does this merely obey some larger law of the universe?

After all, word searches (and life endeavors) rely on luck just as much as skill.

Not to fear—you will get lucky. You always do.

And the luck strengthens with faith.

It’s fleeting, though.

There’s always ONE word that looks just like the one you can’t seem to find.

Perhaps they start with the same letters

or share a rare, tempting pattern your eye can’t resist.

You keep getting drawn to it, despite constant failure.

Time after time of “ugh, not again!” A promise not to look back.

But the more you look at it the stronger the attraction becomes

and suddenly you’re stuck inside this endless loop of false hope,

momentary excitement, followed by a jolt—backwards in disgust

(which has at this point become a conditioned response)

over and over and over and over

and over and over

and over.

Until the cycle ends, and you’re not sure how.

It’s different every time.

Maybe your mind trails off, your eyes relax, and intuition takes control.

Maybe you get up from the table for a while, to view it again later with fresh eyes.

Maybe you power through, knowing your luck has to change eventually.

The only thing you never do is give up.

Not forever, at least.

The thought of the task dangling unfinished would just eat at you if you did.

And anyway, the fun is in the mystery.

Once you have it all figured out, the game is over.