TESTIFY

Carried the weight
Anticipated the load
Drowned out the vulnerabilities
Prepared for whatever
Took a stand
Took a step
Reached out a little more than most would me
Forgot about the present
Ignored the past
Lived in tomorrow
Found the importance of a day
Shared moments, visions, & embarrassments
Followed the wrong paths
Came to dead ends
Turned back around
Bumped my head
Conscious of my mishaps
Disturbed my energy far too many times
Lived in rewind
Sped up
Corrected the errors
Made more mistakes
Traveled to find emptiness
Embraced the hollowness
Filled my soul with hope
Poured faith into my heart
Deserted my loved ones
Befriended my enemies
Learned valuable lessons
Gained an immense amount of knowledge
Pulled myself away from negativity
Broke free of the circles
Ended relationships
Spent a lot of time alone
Reconnected with God
Found reasoning and purpose
Battled my demons...and my Saints
fought my inner-critic
Gave a care when I shouldn't have
Muted my spirit
Exposed my flesh...and my weaknesses
Lied about my truths
And told the truth about my lies
I've cheated, mistreated, deceived, manipulated, and I've painted falsities of myself to hide my pain
I've hid my pride, my love, my intelligence, my sense of self, my beauty, my emotions
To keep from getting hurt
Learned how to be "Real" by owning up to my faults
Apologized to those whom I've hurt
Cried a lot of tears in the darkness
And smiled a lot smiles in the Light
Took responsibility for every action
And endured all of my consequences
Found peace through the toughest of times
And love from the least expected
Stood at standstills
And have turned the tables
I've been knocked down too many times
But have gotten up twice as many
Survived the wounds and weathered the storms
Gained the respect of those who've never known "Me"
And gave my purity to them who've always been around
Confided in my confidence
Reasoned with my sanity
Worked on my flaws
Changed my course
Strived to be better
And prayed for forgiveness
I am not my failures.........
I am my success!!!!!

written by: The Poet ‘METAPHORIC’