There's a gap in my thoughts,
A piece I can't find,
A loneliness eating away at my mind.

There's a void in my arms,
A space I can't fill,
An empty embrace that's making me ill.

There's a hole in my heart,
An ache that won't heal,
A sorrow inside that I can't help but feel.

There's a scar in my soul,
A cut far too deep,
This nightmare too real to be kept to my sleep.

Staring at this blank page,
Such a contrast to my mind,
The emptiness of one all that the other wants to find.

Putting pen to paper,
Once brought a pure release,
What freedom it still offered though at some point had to cease.

Ink was my catharsis,
My therapy for life,
This escape in each line now just another bitter strife.

Could there be another,
Some new way to relieve,
I cannot bring my heart to hope or soul to dare believe.

Darkness is yet growing,
No will to keep the fight,
My time is fast approaching to give in and face the night.

Peace was not my calling,
The page not meant to turn,
And so this chapter closes with no hope of return.

A slave I was, but noble born,
A prince to be, they said in scorn,
A soldier bred, in pain and blood,
A single wave within the flood.

A war I fought, each battle won,
A thousand dead, I spared no one,
A field of spikes, my calling card,
A broken mass all burned and scarred.

A journey home, a prince at last,
A world away, that war-torn past,
A wife and son, a peace long sought,
A haven from all those I fought.

A tribute due, a price too high,
A choice to make, to fight or die,
A road to ride, a deal to make,
A slender chance I have to take.

A brother once, my noble kin,
A traitor now, not worth his skin,
A promise made, an oath he broke,
A final straw, no time to choke.

A war begun, a siege to come,
A day to plan, before the scrum,
A saviour found, a dream to dare,
A hellish choice, this curse to bear.

Never be me,
No- cannot be true,
I’d always persisted in making it through.

Never be me,
No- nothing like this,
I’d always assumed it would be a near miss.

Never be me,
No- something is wrong,
I’d always insisted that I was more strong.

Never be me,
No- just a mistake,
I’d always had faith that my will would not break.

Never be me,
No- beyond belief,
I’d always resisted the fear and the grief.

Never be me,
No- let me rewind,
I’d always imagined I’d be left behind.

The nights go on eternally,
The days seem far too short,
The sunrise far too late to halt,
The demons that I court.

I hear their voices in the dark,
Their silent call to arms,
They whisper softly in my ear,
And play upon my qualms.

The love I hold within my heart,
Is all that keeps me sane,
The truth that this in time will fade,
Yet more for them to gain.

These fears I thought long conquered,
Played out for me each night,
Reveal a past I cannot change,
A future far from sight.

A picture speaks a thousand words and words can paint a scene,
Alas when put together they are often stuck between,
For beauty in a work of art need never be defined,
Nor should the deepest words be shaped or in a frame confined.

This is but my opinion though it has been shared by some,
That words alone should be enough for poets yet to come,
For images can set a tone not found within the verse,
As words in turn change context and more often for the worse.

It is a modern folly to combine these works of art,
As in so doing meanings change and truth will fade in part,
For each must take its audience into a private dream,
Where they can seek what meaning their own heart and soul can gleam.

So heed my call dear poets and refrain from present form,
Allow your work to find a voice within the growing storm,
Your ink can tell a story without need for sketch or picture,
And you in turn will better write without this ill thought mixture.

Real music is emotion,
Raw feelings from within,
A glimpse into a dark soul,
Exposed with every spin.

Each song is a reflection,
Of secret thoughts and dreams,
A story with true meaning,
Between the words and screams.

Deep lyrics are addictive,
A drug we must consume,
They cling to every dark note,
That calls us to our doom.

Each melody is sacred,
Despite what chart it tops,
And we will sing the chorus,
Until the music stops.