If you judge a book
by its cover
then you shouldn't
be surprised
to find yourself
on the wrong page

I’ve happened upon a realization
As I explored the depths
One unwarranted
And one that reminded me of them
One that made me seriously think
About my life
About my maturity in comparison
To the role models I’ve had

So far so good,
But I live in a constant state of dread
Thinking that I will be projecting the same influence to friends
That I once had been given
And that took me down a path
I really wish I didn’t need to explore in order to build
My character