I’ve walked through dust and bad decisions,
left tracks I couldn't brush away.
Life hit back harder than I expected,
and the steel doors closed behind my name.
In that silence, I learned.
About hurt.
About consequence.
About the kind of man, I never wanted to be
But I also learned about strength—
the kind that grows in the dark,
the kind that whispers, get up, try again,
even when no one is watching.
This cell has a way of stripping you down—
no noise, no excuses, just you
and the truth you’ve been dodging for years.
I’ve felt that weight.
I’ve carried it.
And I’ve learned from it the hard way.
I’ve sat with that weight.
I’ve felt the regret.
And I’ve felt that remorse.
I’m putting in the work—
day by day, brick by brick—
changing the path I walk,
shaping the man I’m becoming.
I’m not broken.
I’m rebuilding.
Every day I’m putting in the work
to change the road I walk
and the man I’ll be when these gates open.
I'm not asking for shortcuts
or for anyone to forget where I’ve been.
I’m showing who I am now—
a man who learned the hard way,
a man who’s building forward,
one honest step at a time.

The past may ride behind me,
but it doesn’t steer anymore.
I’ve got my eyes on the road ahead—
wide open, waiting,
I want the open road,
the fresh air of freedom,
the chance to live right
and love right this time
my future’s still mine to shape—
and I’m shaping it with grit, purpose,
and honesty
this time my fire can't be put out.