The Road I Claimed. Poem by Carl R Nicolas

They say life is a red carpet for some, but for me, it was a storm. A tempest of choices, a whirlwind of becoming.

I wish I'd been more careful. How I regret the sharp edges of my youth. But I cannot pause at the altar of regret. I must keep pressing forward.

I wasn't born perfect. No, I was born human, which means I came with blueprints for failure and a heart built for resilience. I made mistakes, yes, I made them in technicolor.

Each misstep, a heavy stone added to a lifetime of losses. Losses you can't erase. Scars that tell a story of a path I wish I'd walked more carefully.

I thought it was the only defense I had—a shield against the unknown, destructive forces out there, aiming to tear you down, aiming to destroy the light you carry. I built a fortress of defiance.

Do I have regrets? Every single one. I wish I had slowed down, had the wisdom to see the consequences I was piling up like kindling for a fire.

But you can't rewind the clock. All you can do is press forward, carrying the weight of 'what if' while embracing the power of 'what is.'

And I hope that in the next life, armed with these hard-won lessons, I will be the architect of my destiny, designing a life with more light than shadow.

Most of those errors... they were unintentional. I was young, inexperienced, chasing a dream, trying to find where I fit in this vast, chaotic world.

But here's the truth that kept me standing: No one could stop me.

I led my life like an emperor. Misjudged? Often. Deceived? Sometimes. But I accepted no defeat. It had to be my way or no way at all. I refused to bow. I felt it was the only defense against the destructive forces out there, forces aiming to tear you down.

I stayed unattendable, untouched, despite the bruises and the scars that marked my journey. Determined to keep moving, to ignore the damages I caused.

Good or bad... every step was mine...

And though the road was hard, fraught with pain and Pavement, I stand here tonight and declare:
I did it my way.
Carl Nicolas.