"Let Freedom Ring!"

"After all,
my time spent hiding.
A coward to the world,
for it had battered,
and torn my heart,
to shreds,
and I thought I,
was better off dead.

So I drank and used,
myself stupid,
deaf, dumb, and blind,
and hated myself.
My God,
that time wasn't kind,
but it was,
the life I chose,
instead of being,
brave and bold,
I accelerated,
my rate of decay,
and wished,
everyone and the truth,
would just go away,
that is to say,
until I found God,
now isn't that odd?
The voice I needed,
was inside myself,
that I searched for,
in my using,
and found nowhere else,
except for,
in the sea of me,
as the broken boat,
that is my addiction,
had capsized me.

I was all alone,
on an island of despair,
and I searched it thorough,
but no one else was there,
except for God's Voice,
who told me I had a choice,
to stay on this lonely island,
or go out to sea with Him,
so I chose,
I chose to swim,
and with God in my heart,
I paddled through,
waves of doubt and shame,
as voices tried to drown me,
saying that,
I'd never change,
but I beat past their lies,
as God was a bird,
who overhead,
charted the skies,
and pointed out,
which way,
for without Him,
I would've never known.

Tired and beaten,
I made it to dry land,
and clutched,
the wet sand,
in my hands,
and as people who,
remembered me,
surrounded me,
they kissed me,
and told me,
how much,
they missed me.
They told me,
of how they prayed,
for me to come home,
instead of being all alone,
on that lonely island,
I once called my home.

So now I am a part,
of something,
much greater.
Even though,
it happened,
15 years later.
I wouldn't change it,
I wouldn't change one thing.
Because I now have my freedom,
so let freedom ring!"