Doubt One and Doubt Two

The rain came down hard, and the phone didn't ring.
So Lou sat at the desk. Lou did not do a thing.

No calls on the calendar. No pings on the phone.
Just Lou and some coffee, and a business, alone.

Lou did the work that kept paying the bills,
The kind of work done with no joy and no thrills.

"I need leads," Lou said. "I need leads. I need more!
But where do leads hide? Are they out past the door?"

Then BUMP! went a thought, and it gave Lou a fright.
"What if you messaged that guy… like, tonight?"

The guy from back when. The guy Lou once knew.
The guy who might need what Lou's able to do.

"Oh no," said a Worry who sat on Lou's chair.
"Oh no, you should not. Don't you do it. Don't dare!"

But the Thought tipped its hat and it said, "Have no fear.
I brought a few friends, and they're already here."

Then in ran two Doubts, and they ran down the hall,
Doubt One and Doubt Two, and they knocked over it all.

Doubt One said, "What if he never writes back?"
Doubt Two said, "What if he does, and you crack?"

"What would you offer? And what would you charge?
Is it too small to ask? Is it way, way too large?"

"Do you have the time? Do you even know how?
You can't do it later! You can't do it now!"

Lou typed it. Deleted it. Typed it once more.
Then saved it for later and paced 'round the floor.

One day became two. Then two became three.
"Oh no," said the Worry. "Just let the thing be.

"Your work is right here, and your bills are still due.
And why would he answer a message from you?"

But the Thought in Lou's head only tipped up its hat.
"You can sit here and stew, if you're happy with that."

"Or…" said the Thought, with a wink and a grin,
"You can stop all this fuss. You can just send it in."

So Lou took a breath and held it a tick,
Then reached for the button and gave it a click.

And then, like a broom made of magic and steam,
The mess started cleaning itself, like a dream.

The what-ifs came down and they rolled out of sight.
Doubt One and Doubt Two slipped away in the night.

The calendar, straight. And the coffee, still warm.
The Worry, asleep, like the calm after a storm.

Then BUZZ! went the phone. Lou looked once. Then looked twice.
And there was the answer, short, simple and nice:

"I'm in. Let's do it. When can we start? Tonight?"

My poll in the community asks what you need now.

Leads have the lead, but the poll is still out.
So go cast your vote, and let’s clear out the doubt.

Here's the link:

Talk soon,

Kevin Hood

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