Through Weathered Eyes

And a Closer;

Through Weathered Eyes,
I have seen countless forms of light,
I have braved some of the darkest nights,
I have been full and deprived of my pride,
I have won and lost so many fights,
I have found a way to survive,
I have felt death while remaining alive,
I have taken comfort in my ability to strive,
I have learned it's not just me on my side,

I ran out of tokens a long time ago,
What I didn't know is that the game is broke,
Every time I lose, the CONTINUE still shows,
You can keep going, if you believe in growth,
The secret to this game, is having hope,

I'm still carrying this weight,
But I've found it gives me strength,
The fractures in my frame,
Can no longer cause me pain,
No more dwelling on what I can't change,
Taking comfort in knowing my own name,
A legacy despite, the love and hate,
Remember me or not, I will not shake,

I've got two feet planted on the floor,
I'm not afraid of this Rage anymore,
Not everything gets done by breaking doors,
Can't contribute to the decay in this world,
No more relying on a nuclear core,
I've got to strive to be something more,
From now on it's just create and explore,

Aiming my steps towards love and laughter,
Leaving behind me a beautiful disaster,
No longer wanna be Abandonment's bastard,
The past can creep but I can walk faster,
I'll choose me over the me that was battered,

I managed to climb out of that swallow,
Left my blood and tears within its hollow,
The hand that helped belonged to Apollo,
Gave me guidance for years to follow,
He showed me how to write words of wallow,

I still think that I'm too much,
Always overeading into stuff,
Oversensitive to the touch,
The overthinking gets so rough,
Always coming off so gruff,
Provoking everyone around to huff,
Despite it all being so tough,
Most importantly, I am enough,

Through Weathered Eyes,
I will stand up and try,
I will protect all these forms of light,

This book may be ending,
But it's only the beginning,
Even with my head spinning,
I can laugh about my hair thinning,
Changing seasons I'll keep on grinning,
Against the odds I still believe in winning,

Through Weathered Eyes,
I will embrace these cold dark nights,
I will find balance in the lows and highs,
I will break barriers when the time arrives,
I will conquer swords with only a knife,
I will shake systems with all of my might,
I will be more than my given birth right,
I will keep beginning until I'm qualified,

Through Weathered Eyes,
I will continue to write these lines,
Battling demons within my mind,
Sharing discoveries that I find,
Nobody gets left behind,
Give me your hand I'll be your guide,
Together we will rise,
Like Golden Knights,
Shining bold and bright,
Everybody deserves their right,
To put up a fight,
For a better life.

-D.O.

To everyone who reads this book,

Firstly,

Thank you. All of the support and powerful words of encouragement have filled my heart with fire. I cannot put into words how much it means to me. I cannot thank you enough.

It is my biggest hope that you may find within this book, something that you can relate to. Everything expressed in this book is absolutely real, and tied to real life experiences. The whole purpose of my work is to give hope to those struggling, and show them that they aren't alone.

If you are reading this right now, you have survived through every single obstacle that your life has handed you. You have beaten uncountable odds in just your existence alone. You are seriously one of a kind. Nobody can truly walk in your shoes. You are the ONLY you. And that is something that is astonishingly beautiful.

So, I want you to know that I'm proud of you. I want you to know that you are always enough. And I want you to know that you are loved. Yes, you. You are loved. You can deny it all you want, but guess what, I love you. Huh? How? What? Why? Simply, just because. There doesn't have to be a reason to validate love.

Lastly,

I just want to say thank you again. Writing this book has been one of the most rewarding things I've ever gotten to do. And then add in all of you guys doing exactly for me what this book's intention was for all of you. Excuse my language, but that is fucking powerful!!!

Love you all!