Dare

How long have I been afraid?
Since the day of my birth?
Or the day I looked to everyone else for worth?

The answers I wish I could remember
It’s just a haze to recall the days before a heart frozen cold as December
Bruce Banner, mild mannered clutching to embers

Of a temper far from normal
So now I irradiate a calm that’s a step towards cordial
If I have to compromise, I’ll choose formal