We speak in hushed voices
So as not wake our memories
Of the people we’ve become
And the virtues we’ve lost
Whispers of the roads not taken
Regrets of the ones travelled
Ghosts of the lives we’ve destroyed.

We tread in caution
Dreadfully avoiding previous paths
Fearfully calculating our every move
Forging into an unknown future
Struggling to forget our past
Doomed as we are to repeat it.

We touch with trembling hands
Scared to hold on to others
Protecting our fragile hearts
Hiding our bereaved souls
A desperate need to let go
Severing unbreakable bonds.

We cry in muffled screams
Alone in the cover of darkness
Fighting to stay strong
Taking control of weakness
Battling with untold pain
Unforgiving as the scars may be.

We live a breaking life
Deceive, adapt or transform
Either way we survive
Through facades or our true selves
Fight this war or dodge the bullets
It’s all a matter of choice
Ultimately it’s who we are