Step Four.   Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Fear often predominates as we begin Step Four.
After all, we’e searching for Resentments,
hurts we’ve nourished for decades, our part
in starting lifelong feuds. Fear has a place.
But as we continue to work the Steps,
as we begin again to set on paper
a searching and fearless
moral inventory of ourselves, after time
the search for these same character defects
to reveal themselves brings not fear
as it did at first but, in light of earlier trips
through Steps Four through Nine,
we recall results, dread missing,
and promises fulfilled before
we’re halfway through, and anticipate
treasures to be found.