slathered in vain
drenched in ego
and reek of self

i can no longer feel
the soul that once sang into my eyes
and for miles i followed
the road paved

and i was there when manhood struck
when success was fluid
and love potential

but your heart is not kind
it does not speak the language of compromise or
compassion

and you thought you were free
yet you had everything to lose

it must ache now
force fed pride that consumed everything you'd done