Guilty Secrets

 

(Picture Credit - Psychology Today dot com)

We all carry Guilt.

Things we did

Or should have done.

Actions taken when red mist descended,

Hot blackness deep inside,

Or when we ran scared

Like a startled rabbit.

 

Sometimes we were just plain mean:

Doing things

Too bad to confess.

At times we “did our job”,

Knowing full well

That it was wrong.

 

We hate ourselves for what we did:

Adrenaline taking over

As we exploded and lashed out.

Cruel acts and gutting dumpings:

Things best unsaid.

 

But no good beating ourselves up.

No point blaming ourselves

For things we did as callow youths.

We cannot always help

What we do.

To err is human,

As they say.

 

We all have our flaws and demons:

Personality defects and fears.

Some have  anger issues

And autistic traits.

Fear of commitment,

Emotional dimness

And many other such things.

Stuff of heartbreak

And sorrow.

 

I, for one, never did relationships –

Just didn’t understand

What they were about.

So I was bound to do wrong

Sometime.

 

All stuff for lyrics of songs:

Songs of drifting apart

And breaking up.

Material mounting into Everests

Of angst.

 

But worry not.

We are not alone.

For evil acts,

Trouble and strife,

Division and violent clashes:

They all seem to be the general way

In these trying

Modern times.

 

Plenty to work on

In our collective quest

For Peace,

Including peace of mind.

 

Paul Butters

 

© PB 17\1\2021.

 

(Poem inspired by watching a recording of “Top of the Pops New Year 2021 Special”).