Shame 
	And guilt
Guilt and shame
Does our world own a darker name?

I feel guilt; it has its use - as its hand wraps my neck
Like a psychological noose.

But shame - oh shame - 
He brings only pain
Emotional acid rain
Polluted memories recall
Like unsweetened chocolate on the tongue
A weight on the chest

I feel shame for my faults
Shame in my prides
Shame in my truths
Shame in my lies
Disliking myself? I’ve known no other life

Unpacking the source - an impossible task
It’s ingrained in every fiber of my being. 
Engraved in my fingertips, 
Sewn into my skin, 
Drilled in my bones
Tattooed in my soft tissue

Shame drips off every syllable, making words of disdain - to sentences of hate
Self hate? Must be for the sane

The shame of all shames - I know not his frame - but if i’d hazard a guess, 
It’s shame of that which bear’s his name 
Shame of the shame itself.
A cycle downward - shame spiral
Where will it take me? The answer is vital.

When shame is felt with every breath out
An exhale feels something I could live without.