Staring at me with an unflinching gaze, unspoken accusations hanging in the air-guilty or not? How can I answer that question? What is real? Which is true?

The blame and the shame are all the same. I float high above the mundane.

A long time ago, I left everything behind and cut off all my ties to learn how to fly. No more fledgling, no longer naive; I see the truth and sense what is real. I can smell the deceit from miles away; I have learned how to tell.
Say when, say what, and say how. Go and teach them to never again fall for superficial charms. Immune to all lies.

The solitary traveler traverses the swamp, trying to reach the other side, free from the dirt and all the thoughts he left behind. Tabula Rasa, a fresh start.

Each end has a beginning, and each...