A braver me
Once hungered for the most radical,
The depths of pain and heights of pleasure,
Arts forbidden and obscene.
Looking for shadows,
The silhouettes of hidden meanings,
In music, words, and old philosophies.
All or nothing, or perhaps just me.
Everything to know,
To intercept as we compete.
Learning to express my ailments
Devoid of my identity.
A wiser me
Found meaning in shattered pieces,
Learned respect for my flaws,
And earned the rites of restoration.
Feeling through my being,
Pursuing dreams to their bitterest end,
Swallowing whatever lurks there,
And tasting something sweet.
Unraveling an eon
Of silent fears and insecurities,
Traversing the deathly path of nihilism
To know what I truly love.
