Regrets Poem by Dave Loper

Was someone once so long ago
A stranger now I do not know
An addicts life to no avail
We live to use, learn to fail

All I was is more than I lost
Every choice exacts a high cost
Losing small pieces along the way
Shrouding my life in hues of gray

But wrongful choices I did make
The darkest roads I did take
Deeper still my downward spiral
This thing is clearly a moral viral

Holding close those better years
When all was right, my path so clear
When success and love shared a space
No boundaries or fears for me to face

When smiles came with greater ease
When I had more than me to please
When the gifts he gave my only measure
My art and talent my greatest pleasure

When family and friends were something more
When family bonds were more than lore
When I earned those wings I proudly wore
When I longed for more than an easy score

So judge me harshly it will not offend
I have these wounds that I must tend
Some are there for all to see
The deeper scars inside of me

There's a hole in me I cannot fill
Still I try after all these years
And still I look for that elusive cure
For those of us who are less than pure