[One:] You will be born into a Strange and Desolate place

[Two:] It will be called "The Average Home"

[Three:] The times will be Restless and full of Uncertainty.

[Four:] It will be full of violence. The end of the century.

[Five:] You will silently question this of your mother as you drink your milk, and you watch her move away

[Six:] And there will be no answer

[Seven:] You will begin the long process of shutting down

[Eight:] Your countenance will reflect less light and later when you look at pictures of yourself

[Nine:] You will wonder

[Ten:] You will give up your backbone to the T.V. and you will accept a value system

[Eleven:] Putting forth Lies and Hatred and Intolerance as acceptable in the name of Love

[Twelve:] No one will step forward from the Shadows saying, "Expect this. It's Part of the Path"

[Thirteen:] You will discover Drugs and Alcohol

[Fourteen:] And you will have a good time

[Fifteen:] You will have a good time for a long, long time

[Sixteen:] And you will have a good, good time for a long, long, oh way too long time

[Seventeen:] And you will rush headlong towards your

[Eighteen:] Bottom Line in an Instinctive attempt to Heal yourself

[Nineteen:] You will finally go to AA to learn what you should have learned in Sunday School

[Twenty:] And then you will give yourself permission to cry. And you will cry and cry

[Twenty-One:] And your friends will move away nervously

[Twenty-Two:] And you'll feel like a Fool

[Twenty-Three:] And you will be alone,
and no one will step forward
from the Shadows saying
"The Journey Forward Includes Movement
Through Despair and Darkness"
And you will be gathering Strength
even if you don't understand
And certain words like LOVE and...
Integrity and Intensity
will be drawn into your Spine.

And Then One Day...

You will look up
And you will look over
You will look up
and you will look over
And you will get up
And you will go over
And You Will Turn Off the T.V....

Precious Candles
your Light is your own