I met a man along the road
And crooked was his smile
Crooked were the steps he took
Along his crooked miles

His arms were long, his fingers too
Though neither pointed straight
His legs were like two twisted ropes
And cause his crooked gait

He flashed a crooked grin at me
And bared his crooked teeth
He wore a crooked coat of black
and no shirt underneath

His body was a twisted mess
Jutting all around
His crooked bones rattled and cracked
As he shuffled ‘cross the ground

“And to where do you go?” His crooked voice rasped
I pretended not to hear
“Answer me my new young friend,
There’s nothing for you to fear.”

“I do not know,” I whispered back
“I know not where I roam.
but I know life lies ahead,
and behind me lies my home.”

“And where are your friends?” he asked of me
A crooked gleam in his eye.
“They did not want to come,” I said.
“I never did learn why.”

“My boy that’s cause they do not care,
You’re not worth caring for!
Look at you; useless, dumb
Weak, ugly, and poor.”

“Well how far have you come?” he asked.
“13 years,” I said
“Only 13?!” his broken voice creaked
“Oh, you’re sure to end up dead.”

“Better men have walked here than you,
More experienced, and with more help.
They died here alone, and so too will you.
You’re an insignificant whelp.”
_____________

I tried to ignore him, really I did
I fought back against all his lies.
But one cruel blow, on one cruel night
I looked straight in the Crooked Man’s eyes.

Then before I could scream
My heart broke at the seem
And I felt an unyielding pain

My insides were hollow
Mouth too dry to swallow
I begged, “Please, make it stop!”

So he took out a brand
And placed it in my hand
“Burn it out of your skin.”

Then he watched with a smile
Relaxed for a while
As my agony tickled his ears

Though I did as he bade
He took out a blade
“Not enough, try harder my boy!”

But the blade and the brand
One in each hand
Could not purge the sorrow within

So covered in scars
Beneath all the stars
The rest of my life began

I fell to my knees as the crooked man laughed
He placed a crooked hand on my head
“Ignorant boy,” he said with some joy

“You’re mine until you’re dead.”
____________


For five long years we walked together
Every night a repeat of the first
And when others would pass, I’d smile and laugh
They never knew I was cursed

Then one fateful night the Crooked Man said
“You’ve grown so dull and so dry!”
He gave me the knife and said, “End your life.”
“I believe its past time that you die.”

I placed the knife against my neck
And felt the familiar blade
Just one more cut, like all the rest
And my tortured life would fade

I closed my eyes then took a breath
And felt myself let go
But right before I did the deed
My broken heart said…”no”

“no” I said, then “No” I growled
Then “NO!” I screamed and screamed!
I threw the knife into the dirt
And doused the brand that gleamed

I turned toward the Crooked Man
His smile had withered away
“Pick that up you worthless cur!”
He tried his best to say

I charged at him with all I had
We fell hard into the mud
“You’ll never win,” he grunted, “You’re weak!
You’ve lost far too much blood!”

“I have a home you wicked thing!
Some friends and a family too!
And I’ll never die, nor even try
If it means they’re left with you!”
_____________

I still wrestle with the crooked man
And sometimes he almost wins
But I refuse to lose to him
nor surrender to his whims

“I’ll never let you go,” I say,
“Or let you get ahead.
Because you filthy sack of sin

You’re mine until you’re dead.

The harder it is getting to endure the pain, the harder it is getting to resist the crave to feel it.

You read and write about strength,  
They say mountains show strength,  
We speak of iron and metal!  

But I believe my heart is the best example,
To burn, break, wound and die.  
And still keep pumping blood,  
No metal no iron no mountain ,
Has ever been through all that pain,

Here today, gone tomorrow
Praying for your smile to come back
Even as a ghost, even as a shadow
I can't help myself but missing the good days of yore
I never saw a trace of that kind of pain behind your eyes before
But i can see; around you there's darkness and nothing more
Now i suffer from a constant ache, an ache without a cure
I can't help myself but endure
I ran out of tears early
Can you believe that i was on the verge of never seeing you again, daddy?
Please don't go, you are the best part of me
Please don't be sad, your little girl's still here and she love you more than anything

What are these roads?
We've walked them before

Your love is a pain,

I wish to endure

I cry but nobody sees
I weep but nobody listens
I cut but nobody sees
I endure pain nobody asks
I listen to people problems I offer advice
I listen to vile stories and I comfort
I take abuse
I can't take it anymore
People don't bother
I am dead people move on
*******
I am at peace
With the darkness
Move on

I am addicted to love
But it has been 4 years
4 years walikng in cold nights
With a simple broken heart
And day dreams of eternal love
I said good bye...
To the old me.

Days come and days go,
They will always return,
This we know;

Nights come and nights go,
They will always go,
And light will show;

Flowers bloom as others whither,
But flowers will rise again,
No matter the weather;

Seasons come and seasons go,
Seasons come with their goodies too,
No need for woes;

Lovers come and lovers go,
True love will endure,
This we know.