When it first came to me, I was so ignorant, unaware and unprepared.
With it, unwillingly, my body, mind and soul were shared.
So sudden and so powerful, a force I could not resist.
Something I never imagined could exist.
Thriving on my every thought, fear and desire;
Then burning my inhibitions to fuel its fire.
Combining the dark and the light into choices.
Coercing me forth with subtle, sweet voices.
Everything I thought I knew became twisted and changed.
Evoking discomfort in others, leaving me estranged.
Until I was broken, and lost all sense of control;
Utterly divided, and no longer a whole.
Freed from the ******* of worry, stress and pain;
Facing the semblance of going insane.
Do you believe the greatest threat is your physical death?
Discover losing your mind while you still have your breath.

But then something transpired which is hard to explain;
By no small miracle, its strength started to wane.
Although, this benefit was rather double-bladed;
As along with its grip, my spirit had faded.
Jarred by a lack of range of emotion,
Justice seemed an unfamiliar notion.
Varieties of explanations conceived then overturned,
Very distinct from the truth for which I yearned.
Hell it seemed I had felt, for Heaven's sake.
Half of me thinking it was more than I could take.
Quite some time was required for me to repair.
Questioning whether or not I should care.
You never know your limits until they are tested;
Yet your Will is a force that can not be bested.
Great victories are won by sheer force of thought,
Get off of your knees, power can not be bought.

Knowing that nothing can be called black or white,
Kills what you thought about what's wrong and right.
Once you realize that this life is not duality,
Only then will you be able to manage reality.

Now I can feel it again, drawing closer to me.
Not that I fear it, for this time I can see
It does not have authority over that which is mine;
I met it initially without much of a spine.
Pride was what made me vulnerable before,
Precluding me from safeguarding my core.
Remembering I've already battled this thing
Reminds me that I still possess its sting.
My past makes me tougher and I think I am ready;
May my Will be steadfast and my resolve be steady.
Life is a constant which transcends space and time,
Love is what makes living life so sublime.