curtain/lights up (or the beginning of act II)

i now know who i am
and what i’m supposed to be
i’ve changed, transformed, reborn anew
do you have what it takes
to stand here next to me?

i will never again feel bad for
all those fucked up things i did
i paid my debt
and did all i could
to make it up to all of you

i don’t fucking care if you like my first book
my second or my third
i won’t defend or protect my art
or stand up for what i wrote
but i also won’t apologize for a single line
i’m going to keep writing
keep reading
keep on this track
of rebuilding myself
you do what you gotta do
i still care in a way
you’re all still my friends & enemies
but i’m not going to rearrange
everything for you
not anymore
i’m not going to let you keep me here
in your day to day routines
one by one i’m crossing off items
on my list of hopes & dreams

looking back at who i was
simply three short years ago
i can’t even recognize myself
and if you can’t accept
what i’ve become
then you can go fuck yourself
i am the combined efforts of everything
i have read & seen
and everyone i’ve ever met
you’re responsible for the creation of ME
but from now on
i’m gonna be what i wanna be
love me or deceive me

i plan to write a dozen books
and shoot a film or two
all to make you proud of me (kind of)
while i’m still waiting
to be proud of you