AS I FLIP THROUGH THE PAGES OF MY LIFE’S WORK,
HORRIFIED…AMUSED…AMAZED.
WHO I WAS…WHO I AM,
EVOLVES BETWEEN THE LINES…PAGE AFTER PAGE.

WHAT YOU WON’T FIND ON THESE PAGES,
ARE MY SECRETS…AND THE SECRETS I’M FORCED TO KEEP.
THE INFORMATION YOU DO FIND,
ARE WOVEN INTO LIES I TELL AS WELL AS THE TRUTH I SPEAK.

BENEATH THE QUIET CALM SURFACE OF MY EXTERIOR,
RAGES A WAR BETWEEN LIGHT & DARK.
I MAY PHYSICALLY SURVIVE THE WOUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH WAR,
THE SAME MAY NOT BE SAID…ABOUT MY SOUL OR MY HEART.

THEY SUFFER THE MOST,
AS I FIGHT TO BECOME A BETTER MAN.
IF I FAIL…I HAVE LITTLE DOUBT,
THE LORD WILL FORGIVE ME…ANY MORE THAN HE’LL
UNDERSTAND.

EACH CHAPTER…SOMETHING POSITIVE,
BACK DROPPED BY SOMETHING I CAN NEVER SHARE.
SO WHEN I SPEAK…LISTEN TO THE INFLECTION OF MY VOICE,
AS I RECITE THE LORDS PRAYER.

IN THE SUBTLE TONE CHANGES,
ARE HIDDEN BITS OF INFORMATION…I CAN NO LONGER HOLD IN.
SOME…MORE TAME THAN OTHERS,
EACH…TO A DIFFERENT DEGREE…SOME TYPE OF SIN.

AND THESE SMALL ECHOES,
THE WEAKNESS IN MY DEFENSE…TIME HAS EATEN AWAY.
PIECED TOGETHER…THE IMAGE THEY FORM,
WOULD SURELY REVEAL…THE STATE OF MY DECAY.

AS EACH CHAPTER PASSES,
MORE IS REVEALED…AS YOU GET CLOSER TO THE END.
AT THIS POINT…MY SINS AMASSED,
 MY BEHAVIOR…MY ACTIONS…BECOME IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO
DEFEND.

AND I’M LEFT WITH THE REALIZATION,
THAT I DESERVE MY PUNISHMENT…I DESERVE PAIN.
STRIP AWAY MY VENEER…STRIP AWAY MY PROGRESS,
WHO I AM…IS WHO I WAS…AND I’M EXACTLY THE SAME.