each and every time

that darkness

bestows itself

upon me

i feel like

giving up

giving in

and walking away

i feel

hopeless

helpless

and want to

turn away

the hurt

the pain

the anger

take control

of my being

and this gentle

soft, sincere

voice

whispers to me

in my bare

naked ear

piercing my

heart and soul

that it's okay

to hurt

to be angry

and the voice

reminds me

that i'm

a fighter

not a quiter

and that

quitting

means losing

valuable experiences

and that

hard times

give strength

and essense

to our soul

11/4/99