An Uncomfortable Preponderance

I remember my past
Through lense of the present
Attempting to solve the puzzle
Of whom I’ve become.
But too many pieces are missing
And I struggle to view the whole
On the basis of the part.

My mind fills in the blanks
Substituting what was
For what I wanted it to be.

What emerges is
A fanciful rendition
A romantic facsimile
Of the truth.
It’s been varnished
With enough lacquer
To make it gleam
So that anyone interested
May have a favorable opinion
Of the character
I represent.

It is an uncomfortable preponderance.
My past has made me into the man I am
And I, to return the favor
Have done the same to my past.