A Letter to the Person I Could Have Been
Dear shadow self, my unwalked path,
My road not taken, aftermath
Of choices made and chances missed,
A life unlived, a dream unkissed.
I write to you across the void,
The chasm of what was avoided,
To trace the lines of what might be,
The you I never grew to see.
In quiet moments, late at night,
I glimpse you in the fading light,
A whisper of potential lost,
A future traded, bargained, tossed.
You haunt the edges of my mind,
A specter of a different kind,
Not of the past, but what's to come,
The person I might yet become.
I wonder, do you think of me?
In your world, am I who you see
When gazing in the mirror's face,
The path not chosen, your disgrace?
Or are you content, fulfilled, complete,
Your life a symphony so sweet,
That I'm forgotten, cast aside,
A fleeting thought, a turning tide?
Perhaps you're braver than I dared,
Took risks for which I wasn't prepared,
Climbed mountains I could not ascend,
Faced fears I could not comprehend.
Did you pursue that distant dream,
The one that made my heart's blood stream?
Did you create, invent, inspire,
While I remained mired in the mire?
I imagine you upon the stage,
Your passion burning, all the rage,
While I sit quiet in the wings,
Regretting all the unsaid things.
Or maybe you're the traveler bold,
Whose tales of adventure are told
In hushed and reverent whispered tones,
While I stay rooted to my bones.
Did you find love that stood the test,
A soulmate's heart upon your breast?
While I, alone, count passing days,
Remembering missed glances, praise.
I wonder if you have the strength
To fight injustice at great length,
To stand for those who have no voice,
While I made comfort my first choice.
Are you the one who changed the world,
Whose banner of hope was unfurled
Across the nations, seas, and skies,
While I averted weary eyes?
Perhaps you're wiser, kinder too,
Your heart more open, pure, and true.
Did you forgive where I held grudges,
Showed mercy where I passed harsh judgments?
I see you in the faces of
Those who dared to fall in love
With life itself, embracing all
Its joys and sorrows, big and small.
You're in the laughter of the free,
The ones who live so fearlessly,
Who dance as if no one can see,
Embodying all I longed to be.
I hear you in the songs unsung,
The melodies that haven't rung
Through concert halls or city streets,
The rhythm of unwalked beats.
You're in the books I haven't penned,
The stories that remain unspent,
Characters trapped within my mind,
Their tales forever unrefined.
I feel you in the gentle touch
Of hands that could have healed so much,
The doctor I did not become,
My calling silenced, rendered dumb.
You're in the classroom where I might
Have lit young minds with wisdom's light,
Inspired futures, shaped young souls,
Instead of chasing lesser goals.
I taste you in the cuisines strange
I never dared to try, arrange,
The chef I could have been, creating
Flavors bold and captivating.
You're in the studio's quiet space,
Where canvas waits for paint's embrace,
The artist I suppressed inside,
Whose visions never vivified.
I sense you in the code unwritten,
The programs that remain unbitten,
The innovations never born,
My tech dreams left unshaped, unworn.
You're in the courtroom's hallowed halls,
Where justice echoes off the walls,
The lawyer I chose not to be,
Who could have set the innocent free.
I glimpse you on the silver screen,
In roles I might have played, unseen,
The actor hidden in my shell,
With stories left untold, untell.
You're in the lab coat never worn,
The scientist I left unborn,
Discoveries unmade, unknown,
Potential stunted, overthrown.
I hear you in the speeches grand,
That could have moved both heart and hand,
The leader I declined to grow,
Whose words could stem hate's undertow.
You're in the garden never grown,
The seeds of change I've left unsown,
The environmentalist inside,
Whose passion I allowed to hide.
I feel you in the notes unplayed,
The symphonies forever stayed,
The musician I might have been,
Whose melodies remain within.
You're in the buildings never raised,
The skylines that could have amazed,
The architect of dreams unbuilt,
My blueprint buried under guilt.
I see you in the stars unmarked,
The astronaut in me that parked
Its rocket ships and cosmic dreams,
Earthbound, unsure of what life means.
You're in the races never run,
The medals that could have been won,
The athlete I did not train to be,
Whose records now will no one see.
I sense you in the patients healed,
The wounds and illnesses concealed,
The nurse whose touch could soothe all pain,
A balm I chose not to ordain.
You're in the dances never danced,
The graceful moves I never chanced,
The choreographer untapped,
Whose art in stillness stays wrapped.
I hear you in the gavel's sound,
The judge I never came around
To being, weighing wrong and right,
Dispensing justice, day and night.
You're in the fashion never sewn,
The styles and trends I might have shown,
The designer trapped within,
Whose visions never graced the skin.
I taste you in the recipes
I never dared to try or seize,
The chef whose culinary art
Remained uncooked within my heart.
You're in the photos never taken,
The moments left to be forsaken,
The lens through which I could have shared
The beauty that I never dared.
I feel you in the earth unturned,
The farmer's wisdom never learned,
The crops I could have grown with care,
To feed the world, heal and repair.
You're in the counselor's gentle word,
The therapist I might have spurred
To life, to heal the broken minds,
To untie knots that sorrow binds.
I see you in the brushstrokes bold,
The paintings that remain unsold,
The artist I suppressed inside,
Whose colors never vivified.
You're in the journeys never made,
The explorer I betrayed,
Whose footprints could have marked the earth,
Discovering lands of untold worth.
I hear you in the silence deep,
Where words I never wrote still sleep,
The poet I refused to be,
Whose verses yearn to be set free.
You're in the contracts never signed,
The deals I left far behind,
The entrepreneur within,
Whose ventures never could begin.
I sense you in the games unplayed,
The athlete's glory left to fade,
The champion I chose to ignore,
Whose victories will come no more.
You're in the sermon's fervent plea,
The spiritual guide I'll never be,
Whose words could heal and inspire,
Igniting faith's undying fire.
I feel you in the stitches missed,
The surgeon's skill I ne'er enlisted,
Whose steady hands could have restored
Lives broken, health long unexplored.
You're in the equations unsolved,
The mathematician uninvolved,
Whose theories could have changed our view
Of numbers, space, and time anew.
I hear you in the silence where
My voice could have risen in the air,
The singer I refused to be,
Whose songs remain a mystery.
You're in the comforts left behind,
The soldier's courage unrefined,
Whose bravery could have secured
A peace that might have long endured.
I see you in the verdicts just,
The lawyer I did not entrust
With defending the defenseless,
Upholding law with fearlessness.
You're in the bills I never passed,
The politician unsurpassed,
Whose policies could have transformed
A nation, left it more informed.
I feel you in the gentle touch,
The masseur who could heal so much,
Whose hands could soothe away the stress,
Bring calm to lives of storm and mess.
You're in the questions left unasked,
The journalist I never tasked
With uncovering hidden truths,
Giving voice to the world's mute.
I hear you in the laughter bright,
The comedian who could ignite
Joy in hearts weighed down by sorrow,
Bringing hope for each tomorrow.
You're in the forests saved from flame,
The firefighter I never became,
Whose courage could have rescued lives,
Protected homes where love survives.
I see you in the stars' vast dance,
The astronomer's knowing glance,
Who could have mapped the cosmic sea,
Unlocked the sky's great mystery.
You're in the bridges never built,
The engineer free from guilt,
Whose structures could have spanned great heights,
Connected lands, days, and nights.
I feel you in the wounds unhealed,
The veterinarian concealed,
Whose gentle care could soothe and mend
Our faithful companions to the end.
You're in the treasures left unfound,
The archaeologist unbound,
Whose discoveries could have shed light
On histories lost to time's long night.
I hear you in the silence where
The translator could have made clear
The words of cultures far and near,
Breaking barriers, drawing all near.
You're in the criminals uncaught,
The detective I never sought
To be, solving mysteries deep,
Ensuring justice does not sleep.
I see you in the untamed wild,
The zoologist unreconciled,
Who could have studied, understood
The beauty of each beast and wood.
You're in the movies never made,
The director whose vision stayed
Locked within imagination's realm,
Stories untold, no one at the helm.
I feel you in the notes unsung,
The conductor whose baton hung
Suspended, never to command
The symphony within his hand.
You're in the dances never taught,
The instructor who could have brought
Grace and rhythm to stumbling feet,
Helping souls and bodies to meet.
I hear you in the silence where
The sound engineer could prepare
A world of audio delight,
Turning cacophony to light.
You're in the games left undesigned,
The developer left behind,
Whose worlds of wonder and of play
Could have brightened many a day.
I see you in the stars uncharted,
The navigator who never started
The journey across oceans wide,
To lands where adventure would reside.
You're in the flowers never grown,
The botanist who could have shown
The world the beauty in each bloom,
Dispelling sadness, banishing gloom.
I feel you in the earth unturned,
The geologist who never learned
To read the stories stones can tell,
Of ages past, of heaven and hell.
You're in the mysteries unsolved,
The philosopher uninvolved,
Whose thoughts could have reshaped our view
Of life, of old truths and of new.
I hear you in the silence where
The librarian could have shared
Worlds bound in pages, knowledge vast,
Connecting present, future, past.
You're in the figures left unchecked,
The accountant I did not elect
To be, whose skills could have revealed
Truths in numbers long concealed.
I see you in the untamed hair,
The stylist who could have brought flair
To locks unkempt, to spirits low,
Transforming doubt to vibrant glow.
You're in the wines left untasted,
The sommelier I wasted,
Whose palate could discern and pair
Flavors rich beyond compare.
I feel you in the muscles tense,
The personal trainer's influence
That could have shaped both body, mind,
Leaving weakness far behind.
You're in the childhood dreams unpursued,
The version of me imbued
With courage to chase shooting stars,
To reach for Venus and for Mars.
I see you in each passing face,
In every unclaimed time and place,
A constant reminder of choice,
Of paths untaken, unused voice.
But know this, shadow self of mine,
That though our paths may not align,
I honor you with every breath,
With every step from birth to death.
For you are me, and I am you,
Two sides of one coin, tried and true.
Our choices, different though they be,
Form the tapestry of me.
So let us not in sorrow dwell,
On what-ifs and the might-have-beens,
But celebrate the lives we lead,
The unique paths our feet have seen.
For in this vast and wondrous life,
There's room for both our joys and strife.
And though we walk on different ground,
In each other, we both are found.
So here's to you, my might-have-been,
My parallel, my could-have-seen.
May your life be as rich and full
As this one I've chosen to pull.
And in some distant time or place,
Where all our choices interlace,
Perhaps we'll meet and share a smile,
Knowing each path was worthwhile.
Until that day, if it should come,
I'll carry you, my phantom sum,
A reminder of life's vast scope,
Of endless possibility and hope.
Farewell, my self that could have been,
My unwalked road, my might-have-seen.
In honoring you, I've come to know
The me I am, the me I'll grow.
