Back in the day

I was once not here 
No existence yet unafraid 
Infinite ether for a guide
So untroubled I could've stayed 

I was once a thought
Swimming within two brains
Neuro-transmitters at the ready 
Adrenaline shooting through their veins 

I was once a sperm
Desperate to make it work 
An enemy to the dead
A light amid the murk 

I was once a schoolboy 
Fearful of every day
Bunking off for freedom
To everyone's dismay

I was once a virgin
Hunting for a hole 
From the dirty din of Bangkok 
To the bars of Korea's Seoul

I was once depressed
Hospital was my home
Rummaging in the bins
For something of my own

I was once much younger
No dried fruit for a skin
On show at every party
That’s how long it’s been

I once met myself 
Scribbling a poem in the rain
I almost fell in love 
With everything to gain 

I once killed my dreams 
By running from the truth 
Spotted them hunting for me
Down the dark alleyways of my youth.