Ghosts of Who I Was

I found an old picture buried in my phone,

Back when I swore I could do it all alone.

Same face, same eyes, but a different soul,

Chasing every wrong road, losing control.

I burned some bridges I wish I could rebuild,

Said things out of anger that I never really felt.

Had good friends beside me, pushed ’em away,

Thought pride made me stronger back in those days.

I made bad choices just to feel alive,

Ran from the truth when it looked me in the eyes.

Looking back now, man, I barely recognize

The kid who kept his pain so deeply disguised.

I don’t hate the person I used to be,

He was just trying to survive what he couldn’t see.

Made a lot of mistakes, lost people on the way,

Learned some lessons that still hurt today.

I can’t change the past, can’t rewrite history,

But every broken piece built the man in me.

So when I look back at who I used to see,

I thank God I’m not the person I used to be.

Some friendships faded, some ended in flames,

Some people moved on and forgot my name.

And maybe I deserved some doors being closed,

I was carrying battles that nobody knows.

I confused being reckless with being free,

Thought nobody understood what was happening to me.

I chased validation, ignored good advice,

Learned growing up comes with a hell of a price.

Now I think before speaking, I value my time,

I stopped trying to force people to stay in my life.

Still got scars, still got nights I regret,

But I’m finally becoming someone I respect.

If I could sit down with that younger me,

I wouldn’t yell, I wouldn’t judge what I see.

I’d say, “You’re gonna lose some people you love,

You’re gonna hit rock bottom, but you’ll still get up.

One day these mistakes won’t define your name,

They’ll become the reason you finally changed.”

I don’t hate the person I used to be,

Every wrong turn taught something to me.

Every goodbye, every lie, every memory,

Became another chapter in my story.

I’m still not perfect, still finding my way,

But I’m stronger than the man I was yesterday.

And if my younger self could stand here and see,

I hope he’d be proud of the person I’m learning to be.

I can’t erase him…

And maybe I shouldn’t.

Because without the person I used to be,

I’d never understand the person I am now.