Time Imprisons Me

I have watched my loved ones
Walk away in reckless stupors,
Never once questioning
Or doubting their strength...
Until it was too late
To save them from themselves.

That's why I can't be silent...

I have carried friends
Across burning bridges,
And to their graves,
Never once thinking
That it would turn
Out to be this way.

That's why I can't be too careful...

I have lost many things:
Chances at love,
Golden oppurtunities,
And myself,
Never once realizing
That I had anything to lose.

That's why I can't walk away...

I have been to the edge.
I have seen the end
Staring me dead in the face,
Unafraid of the horrified creature
That I am,
Never once blinking.

That's why I can't let go...

I have learned more lessons
In life than most adults
In a lifetime.
Never once knowing
That sometimes you must walk the path
To know it.

That's why I can't always forgive...

I have taught myself to be cautious,
For there are some things
You must experience
Before you can preach them.
Practice what you preach,
Don't repeat what has already happened.

That's why I can't forget...