ECHOES

ECHOES

Lord knows, I’ve

Walked a lot of roads

I’ve told a lot of lies

And didn’t end up wise

From telling stories

About nonexistent glories,

But I must admit

I learned a bit from it.

I shucked and I

Shuffled and I

Pretended a lot.

The suffering it brought

Was only sort of worth it

If you can compare it

To how ignorant I was

When I started out

Had no idea what I was about.

 

I had to hurt a lot of people

Saw my lovers weep while

I stumbled on to the next one

Telling myself I was having fun

But the pain had not begun

Not really, just a hint

Of how bent I had become

And how I came to mean

So very little to anyone

Or to myself it seemed.

I never dreamed

It could hurt

So much

To live without touch.

 

Now, with nothing to boast

What I miss the most

Is laughing together

At silly jokes

Sharing some tokes

With people glad to see me

Instead of hiding from me

And hoping I forget

Where they live

And living to regret

I had so little to give.

I wish that was a jest

But it’s really the best

I can say about myself

Back then

Back when

I was a fool.

 

Brent Kincaid

2/9/2015