As I walk through the valley I'm the shadow of death,
I keep myself together with every waking breath,
I make it unknown to everyone who I truely am,
no one will every know the emotions I cram.
Some say i don't understand,
That I dont get it,
That I dont understand you,
Well I do, I see you, I know you, I get you,
I've been where you are,
I've walked through the valley and back up again,
I've slept alone with my thoughts in a den,
I thought it would never end.
Day after day,
Year after year,
never shedding one tear,
I stayed strong through the worst,
picked myself up when i was about to burst,
I've let love go when my lust thurst,
I am the shadow in the valley of death,
I look like im the angel of life,
no one needs to see the black cloke i wear,
they just see my smile and short cut hair.
Well groomed, teeth clean, smelling good,
no one relizes there is something below,
a second skin, lying within,
waiting to be let out to show my real self,
but until then the angel of life is here to stay,
to tell you your beautiful and great,
even the shadow inside me knows its not to late,
to show you what I see in you,
to rewire your battered heart,
to give you a new start,
to tell you that your not stupid,
that your funny and cute and deserve cupid,
I'm hear to listen and help,
even though you think I can't
I'm going to try my best,
not as the shadow of death,
but the angel of life,
to give you happiness in every breath.

the sun splits the sky like a blistered wound
as your tired lips sag upon your sallow canvas-face
like a painting faded in the rain
former vibrancy smeared beneath your eyes
with the deceptions of your make-up bag

and a sleeping dragon curls within your stomach
with its claws maiming your innards
and its nostrils setting you aflame from inside
while taunting spiders begin their twisting dance upon your limbs
as a demon's sinuous-clawed finger etches into your skin
"never never"

you wear the scars like a consolation prize
as if they were a bar code upon your generic flesh
and you are broken nails and missed deadlines and fast food meals
as the words in your head are as large as billboards
but as small as the fine print you never read

the dragon awakens within your stomach
its roars echoing within your skull like a mad symphony
as you collapse and crumple like an unwanted love note
and the dragon rips through your flesh
hollowing you like a discarded cocoon
extinguishing the last of your once-burning passion

the tormenting spiders resume their spiraling dance
and with impassive resignation you extend your arm graciously
to the demon who indifferently tattoos
"forever"