Waking up in the past,

considering too much the future

Regretting every step that

I have not yet even taken.

Lost within my dreams, lost within reality.

There is no existing road that I can approach

with complete certainty.

I cannot escape this prison

that I built for remorseful thoughts.

This realm of fallen hopes.

My wishes left abandoned.

Waking up to actuality

a papier mache mask revealed.

A smile, once hidden, revives the

life I once left behind.

With strength, I stand

With steady steps, I walk away

from a mess that was never mine to clean