Another empty bottle hit’s the counter-top,
And the reflection beneath the glass screams agony.
Your fingers cold and breath unsteady,
And yours eyes wander for your lost esprit.

O! Zealous Child,
What ever happened to the temperance?
Where did your conscience run off to?

Just wait awhile,
Mistakes are followed by fortitude,
And one fiasco won’t be the death of you.

Because,
You’ll move on.

15 years now going strong behind your back,
Do you recall the moment when your eyes locked with hers?
Remember that she's still yours as long as you hold on,
So would you please choose careful action over blurted words?

O! Zealous Father,
What ever happened to the temperance?
Where did your conscience run off to?

As your own son,
I’m disappointed in your image,
And this fiasco won’t be the death of you…

But,
It will hurt me.

You understand now that you’re just another example
Of a melancholy soul who swims in alcohol to try to feel free.
Yet those people never think of who they might hurt by their actions,
And with it on your lips did you ever wonder what it would do to me?…

Or her?

O! Zealous Man,
What ever happened to the temperance?
Where did your conscience run off to?

I won’t lie now,
I often wish I could change your choice,
And stop all the grey you put us through.

But I am thankful for your mistakes,
For they made me who I am today.

And if you want the honest truth,
O! Zealous Father:
I forgive you.