Mad

and the dark sat down beside me
wrapped its feather arms around me
breathed out
everything's okay
and i believed it.

laid out bare and bled my veins
less a sacrifice than melody
to carry the night through
to the day

i didn't count on the light coming on
so soon.

bandaged, bound up tight in something
only i could feel
i was pure centrifugal force
and the world was pushed away
held to the edges of nothing
by the sheer will
of my cracked infected mind

and the power went out
blew the whole god damned place wide open
sparks everywhere like falling stars
but poor imitations that burned and scarred
when they landed on my skin
and reminded me
of who i should have been
and had forgotten how.

one last shot
bandages off
scars exposed to the light
burning off the dead and damaged skin
i was afraid of what i'd find in there
terrified that i was gone.

burned off the dead and damaged soul and found
something almost magical
something not quite perfect
but strong enough
to dream the dark away.