What if I laid aside this ego,

No longer held by shame or shy to show,

Unbound the fear that chokes my flow,

And finally learned to let it go?

Would I gather friends and tales to tell,

A life on stage, a story fit to sell,

Walking bold, unbeaten and invincible,

Content, at ease, and truly acceptable?

What if I broke this silent slavery,

To taste a life both sweet and savory,

To seize the victories I truly want,

And crush the haunting phantom known as "can't"?

I stand henceforth as my own master,

Beyond all need of praise or favor,

Ready to build, create, and publish,

Welcoming the dawn as past regrets diminish.