~ Second Chance ~

I used to wish I could go back
And do it all again
To a time when I was young
And life was simple then

Where I might have a chance
To make the memories of today
Reflections of wise choices
That would take the pain away



And as the years rolled by
I'd be grateful for each chance
To change the way I dealt
With a chosen circumstance

Where actions on my part
Were hurtful to another
To my loved ones, to my children
To my father, or my mother

I'd have a chance to "just say no"
And choose another road
Where common sense and kindness
Would guide me with my load

And when life's storms rained down
From every cloud above
I'd find the strength to carry on
With courage and with love

Oh, to have a second chance
To live my life again
To erase today’s regrets
From memories way back when...

But then I heard a voice
From deep within me say
That I must view my past
In a more forgiving way

That chances to relive the past
Are not for me to have
I must go on with life
Exploring fresh, untrodden paths

Where self-forgiveness blooms
In sunny fields ahead
And flowers blossom in the soul
With judgments left unsaid

For only when I own my past
And who I’ve since become
Will I know how to heal myself
And help another one

Who might be headed down
That rocky road of life
So tough yet so familiar
With all its stress and strife

And little gems of wisdom
All along the way
So overlooked back then
But seen so well today

I saw the truth of being
All that I can be
By learning from the past
And my personal history

No longer do I wish
To relive those years back then
For each day is a second chance
To begin life once again

~ Copyright ©2001 Virginia Carlson ~

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