This is it Ralph
You’ve been gone for a while but it’s time to reappear
The pressure is all around you
Are you going to give in to the doubt?
Let the fear interfere?
Make excuses for yourself like you’ve done so for years,
As you sit back and watch your inner demons steer
Or are you finally going to take back wheel,
Show the world and make things clear
Of Ralph’s resilience, who he really is, and why he’s here
The choices you’ve made and the choices in sight,
Are the two factors in the equation that you call your life
What have you done,
And what will you do with this story you write?
What visions do you see? Any pinnacles you’ll reach?
What mountains will you climb? What goals do you strive,
To accomplish in the physical as well as ones that are deep inside?
A year from today, what achievements do you hope to provide?

I’d have learned to break the shackles I’m confined,
To within the cage of my mind
To stop looking at the past and start paving a new path,
Of leaving an impact
To use my God given talent, and not stand on the sidelines
To walk outside the lines,
Of my comfort where I often reside
I will find a way to better coexist,
With the inner demons that lie,
Within me
I’d have learned to break the shackles I’m confined,
To within the cage of my mind
To stop looking at the past and start paving a new path,
Of leaving an impact
To use my God given talent, and not stand on the sidelines
To walk outside the lines,
Of my comfort where I often reside
I will find a way to better coexist,
With the inner demons that lie,
Within me
I will learn new things
Learn new places
Learn new limits, and exceed old ones
This year
I will keep my eyes set on the big dream
I will keep it alive
The blinding lights
The deafening rumble of the speakers all around the venue
Roaring out the words I’ve woven together
Looking out at hundreds,
Thousands,
Simultaneously doing the same
Simultaneously healing any pain,
We may have been going through
But for now
For this year,
I’ll release the music that hundreds,
Thousands,
Will choose to overlook
With words that will roar out speakers,
of the most most humble venue
My room
Knowing all this,
I will still release the music
Solely,
Because I want to
Because I need to.
This year
I’ll learn hope
I’ll learn perseverance
I’ll learn discipline
I’ll learn growth
I’ll learn patience
I’ll learn success
I’ll learn those,
And I’ll learn me

I’ve seen your fight, and you’ve fought well
This next one is a little different
But I can tell,
You have what it takes
You must get out your shell
Do everything you said you will
Dust yourself off, get out that imaginary cell
Stick to your gut, and you will prevail
Make the tears worth it
Make the world see
Go ahead and put the work in,
And the people will soon enough believe

Thank you for having this talk with me
Or rather, with yourself
Afterall,
You are me, and I am you
The thing is, you know me
But I can’t know you unless I live the rest of my life,
The same exact way you have

You’re right
But unfortunately,
I’m unable to give you more, and our time is up
Don’t worry
You just proved to me you have everything you need
I hope that one day you can come back,
And view these words as me
If you can do that,
That’s when you’ll know

Know what?

You’ll see
Farewell Ralph,
From here on out you’ll need to turn it up a few gears
Everything you want:
It all,
Starts,
This,
Year.