my poem

"tempered by pain and experience"

I’ve traveled dark roads and
been down some sketchy alley
ways
many never knew about

most would deny the existence of
such places

some were too self absorbed
too self righteous
to admit knowing but
those dark paths
exist

some follow down this
accursed avenue with
me
for a time
only to turn back
knowing where the wide path leadeth

some were lured by
false pretense
only to fall
by the wayside
when hot
scalding truth
radiated its brilliance

some accompany me knowing
full well
what the cost will be
they
stay the path until
they
can bear it no longer and
I love them for it but
I must send them away

I keep on still
alone
I travel onward toward
dark oblivion
bearing the chains of guilt ... addiction ... excess
weighted down with
self doubt ... insecurity ... ineptitude
I can feel my progress
come to a slow
crawl
even to a halt
sometimes
I turn around
take a step back
only to move forward again
to face my fear ... my fate ... my destiny

I find the will to carry on
or
something pulls me
I don't know which sometimes
but
I know the beauty of it
the journey
is what makes the destination
so so sweet
I will get there someday
where ... when ... how
and with
who
remains to be seen