I'd never forgive myself
If I let you go
Down to that dark place
Where the shadows like to roam
My heart breaks for you
Every single day
When you talk of all the evil things
That the monsters shove your way
Please see that there is love
Please see that there is light
Let me see your lovely face
So to banish the tears and fears
That haunt you morning, noon, and night
There is no way to fix
The blackness of their hearts
But believe me
Nothing in that pill bottle
Is able to even start
Mending the holes in part
You are just one in the world
That much for sure is true
But all of us together fit
In a puzzle,
A grander plan incomplete without you
Before you catch the fastest flight
That's whisks you away from life
Please stay hold my hand
For a while, while we still have time

Is love not a poisonous snake?
A beauty to look at,
Yet venomous
Murderous, savage
It draws one in with it's
Deceptive, delicate movements
Planning and plotting when to strike
Behind a veil of entrancement
Closer, closer, closer
Come closer
Closer
Until......
SNAP

I got the text an hour ago
That confirmed my secret fear
In the back of my mind
The demon dwelled
Seething, growing, gnawing, steering
The vehicle of self doubt
I thought that it would hurt more
At least superficially
But somehow knowing the truth
Is oddly comforting
Don't get me wrong
The tears I shed were real,
Authentic and yet fleeting
Perhaps it hasn't hit me yet

The bugle plays it's song
As it does every day over the PA system
The children rise
And face the flag
Out of respect?
Who could know
When their true thoughts
Are locked away inside?
One little girl
Envisions painting a picture
With the hues of the banner
Near her a small boy
Stares into space,
Dreaming about a shiny new toy
Waiting for him at home
Across the room
Stands the teacher
Behind her desk
Facing the object
It is her obligation to face
She is very deep in thought,
Concerning her dinner that evening
In the back corner of the room
Stands a boy
Straight as an arrow
Saluting Old Glory
A single tear running down his cheek
He, like the others
Focuses on faraway things
Something not within his reach
Not now
Never again
Unlike the others,
He breaks his stare from the flag
Bows his head
And whispers
"Thank you, Daddy"

Complications pile up
Ominous snowflakes on a quiet street
Never stopping, the blizzard
Finally lets loose in a storm of chaos
Understanding and logic gone
Suspicious of all those around me
Excluding no one from observation
Desperately trying to resolve the case

Sleepless nights play a game of tag with me
Will they ever catch me?
I race ahead, with success and ambitions engraved into my mind and spirit
Newfound strength pulses through my veins, becoming my new lifeblood
I will not stop
Not until I am fulfilled
Never