these ink stains are like linked chains
i'm engaged in these pages like deep veins
& its making me see things.

like beauty & truth in words
that don't usually sooth...but soon
its a stuttered excuse i don't have the stomach to use.

i envision hopes & goals where
there were wicked open holes
& obstacles so inoperable as i'm getting awfully old...

just a killing fear of a fulfilling career
i've been building for years while welling with tears
but that backwards searching was
a crash course in learning & i'm finally here.