The Murder of Who I Could Have Been --- Guest Post by M. T. Bennett

I gaze in the mirror as it gazes at me

I don’t recognize the face that I see

I expected a hero, yet this isn’t he

For I’m not the man that I wanted to be

I once had goals and grand aspirations

Yet as I look in my eyes all I see are frustrations

The dreams I attained are startlingly few

I didn't accomplish what I set out to do.

The man in my future who I saw up ahead,

That man never lived and yet, he is dead

He's faded away like a faint apparition

And with him all of my youthful ambition

I am no champion, strong, sure, and sound

Life beat me down, right to the ground.

I know that it seems I’m just a mess

It's not true! I’m “ok”, I’ve made some progress

Though I'm not the man you wanted to be

I hold to the hope that you’ll accept me

So, I look at the stranger wearing my face

And hope younger me would offer him grace.

M.T. Bennett is a husband, father, student, blacksmith, and the author of "Dark and Bright: Poetry and Prose". His work is printed in various publications including HEAL, Poet's Choice Zine, In-Training, Chiasm, Supernatural Studies, and Intuition. Bennett digitally resides on Twitter and Medium @BennettEmpty.