That demon's name is past, and he lives in the present.
Distant, yet near, he is so relentless.
Whispers of regret in the corners of my mind,
Echoing the choices I wish I could leave behind.

He claws at my thoughts with hands unseen,
Turning every bright moment into something so mean.
He feeds on my doubt, on every mistake,
A shadow that lingers, too heavy to shake.

His voice, a cold breeze in the warmest of days,
Telling me that I’m lost in my own maze.
Yet still, I keep moving, though he's always there,
A haunting reminder of the burdens I bear.

But though he is many, though he is strong,
I’ll rise from the ashes, where he doesn’t belong.
For even in darkness, there’s a flicker of light,
A spark that defies him, burning through night.

So I’ll face him each day, but I won’t back down,
For the past may be heavy, but I’ll wear it like a crown.
He won’t define me, though he tries to persist—
For I am my future, and I will resist.