~Hunter S. Thompson

"He who makes a beast out of himself, gets rid of the pain of being a man."

Of being fallible, of feeling pain.

Howling at the moon, grinning at the stars,

into the woods, past all the damned cars.

The darkness calls to me, as the shadows between the trees create a flowing loss of vision, and entice the primal energies underneath my programmed exterior.

This is me, this is us, let the beast emerge from within your tight diaphragm, so programmed to the rhythmic breathing of a desk jockey sucking down coffee staring at that awful, civilized contraption ticking down the moments of life reminding us of our frailty.

Growl at your enemies, howl at the moon, bare your teeth, leave the rooms,

the boxes you've lived in for so long,

flee to nature, feel the green.

#3 (/Changing Adult)

Mischievous actions, sarcastic retorts.

Long summers, and couch cushion forts.

First date, first car, first kiss,

too many memories that can never be relived, only missed.

Responsibility slips it way into the care-free life, money, education, strife,

a child, life.

Becoming and adult, a never ending journey,

no one is grown up,

We just slowly act maturely.

The hardships we've had,

and the weathered windshields with which we approach them,

Are the real things that separate boys and men.