The Man You Once Were

You make it hard for me to remember the man you were.

The smile you once put on my face is long gone.

All I see is the the destruction you’ve caused.

Little remorse for the hearts you broke.

I notice the pain in your eyes.

Even you wonder where the man you were went.

Shuffling through life as an empty shell.

I watch in confusion.

My guidance ignored.

I know not whether to hate or reason.

I no longer see an ounce of the man you were.

It frightens you he no longer exists.

Leaving a trail of tears from lives you once touched.

All hope diminished.

Beyond help.

Beyond saving.

I mourn the man you once were.
...As do you.

A waste of a fine human being.

I wonder what the old you would say.

Would he shake his head in disappointment?

Plead for you to think of brighter days?

He’d probably urge you to notice you shattering her heart.

The one who stood by you now stands so far away.

Her heart aches for the man you were.

She wonders if you notice.

She wonders if you care.

Her heart will always be empty.

She only had love for the man you once were.

The person you’ve become broke her.

Hope of the old you has faded from her eyes.

I hope you come back to the man you were.

Then perhaps she can become the woman she’s meant to be.

-Asia Aneka Anderson, The Man You Once Were 2015©