None of us were ready to die without a fight
Our entire cadre had all survived our ordeal
Struggle for one and all to arrive at this place
The end of the festival meant the final battle
Trumpets called, crowds amazed we survived
The end of the contest was our final call
We had always practiced a martial art form
The action in the arena for the week was wild
As crowds loudly screamed for their heroes
Booing lustfully every one of the villains
And they wanted all sides to die gloriously
In the day's hot sun, we'd soon pass over
Uneven sands covered in ichors and blood
The sweat and bleeding poured down my arm
Wounds from near strikes do not worry us
Nor the broken ribs and wrists, and skulls
Non fatal blows do not block our forward path
Given a chance to fight for my freedom
My hand proven in battle, I'd bring wrath
And then as I woo the emperor's charms
My survival here will let me be freed
And then, in that new world, what will life be
I'll need to learn to be a freeman, a Roman
Who escaped by battle a cruel and bestial world
“Do not act as if you were going to live ten
thousand years. Death hangs over you. While
you live, while it is in your power, be good.” Marcus Aurelius
You know, I don't know why I did it but did freely
And gave you every ounce of my misplaced trust
I was a fool, you then used me, you were so cruel
There were no games being played, I'd just failed
Couldn't understand a world that didn't have rules
With no claims against you, you see me as insane
Who on the planet would do what I seem to choose
So thank you for opening my eyes, to all my flaws
Stare into the abyss, caught in a responding gaze
I am aware of it all, and deeply stare now instead
Into a black hole of compassion, with a great awe
The fishing village sits upon the edge of the ocean
As the people make a living from the rich harvest
Each day they go out, the ocean blue is their partner
The ocean never changes, only roils in the storms
Perfectly beautiful, the creator must be an artist
He provides sustenance for the village and beyond
Storms cannot stop them, not even when warned
For the truth is our hunger never wanes
Hunger drives us again and again
Even into realms of danger
Winds across golden plains, thick with grass, the remnants remind us
Our world has seen tragedy, victory, fates unfulfilled and destiny lost
Many imagine our world to be vast, with the echoes of a vibrant past
The future is not composed of intent, nor woven with grace, paradox
We are ignorant of the truth, but it isn't our fault, we cannot perceive
Which leaves a world of unsolved mysteries and holes in her history
As the crowd closes in
With a spirit and fire
I know other men
Desire her
I know she moves me
She is spectacular
With beauty and style
Dressed in her finest attire
Red hair strikes the eye
She is as a royal highness
With a beauty that never lies
I know I'm biased but I must try
So I'll tell her, I will tell her
That I believe in forever
Her allure I cannot resist
She must come there with me
So that we can find out
Together
If not
Why should I even exist
Every breath brings pain, the heart aches
We struggle with insanity, burnt at the stake
Our world is in decay, our world shakes
We cannot save the world, we are not a savior
We can only save our selves following the path
Of creator, the great architect, our world's maker
Our lungs struggle to pull in air, a thick haze
Our minds struggle to exhibit due care
We've been broken, our world decayed
There is nothing left if no hope remains
You know I left this existence long ago
Only this flesh remains here for you
I couldn't bear that you'd be alone
Nothing wrong with being through
You loved me is more than enough
I have lost my way, I've grown tired
So you can have this fading body
The heart inside beats only for you
It is your very own, that's the truth
It only beats for you, only for you
I've experienced difficult choices to make
Receiving the punishments and shame
With no expectations of mercy
Acts of greed, of selfish need
Some crimes receive absolution
I've no reason to expect a thing
I'll receive no such gentle grace
With all that's happening
You must know, the end has begun
I promise you I know how I will twist
As I sway in the wind I'll be called pollution
A toxic stain upon the empire's human face
He will be broken for that I am chosen
No others are willing to conform
But I was given a command
And I consider myself a soldier
For we are at war
I have a duty to fulfill
I'm both a rebel and a fool
Kiss my rabbi and betray a man
And my deed will have been done
I've been given 30 shekels
Don't be confused, I do understand
I know this labor well that I'm about to perform
My name will be traitor for generations
But I seek no forgiveness
For I've been allowed to achieve an end
What I did was not for my benefit
But for that of the movement
I will never return home
I will be hated for millennia
But I've achieved by my one simple act
Something no other rebel or politician has
By my one act I will sow the seeds
That will destroy Rome
Forever
Yeah I heard that rumor
I know you wanted to ask
But my life's not yours
For entertainment
Your sordid pleasures
So don't be such an ass
Acting as if you're kept
In some dank basement
Away from public view
You don't understand
You say you need to know
You can ask
You can even demand
But nothing will change
I still have a private life
I prefer my own dreams
I keep my secrets kept
I'd rather lose what we have
Than think I have a master
You can try to intercept
But I'll not be your victim
You can try to kidnap
You won't succeed
When the joy falls like rain
As you walk gently forward
You know the single fact
You've fallen in love
And there you will remain
Dreams full, like harvest in an orchard
To sip from the divine chalice
You drink and it remains filled
A heart having a hope attack
And all you have is enough
For there is a mystery
Of how to be fulfilled
By giving and trusting
The more you love
The more you are able to love
It goes beyond sex and the tactile touch
There is something deeper inside
Than can be understood
And never described
The joy washes over you
This is the life you wanted to live
As you realize it is true
There is nothing greater
Than to love another
Not only lust, but an innocent trust
That only a heart in love can give
The pulse and the impact act as one
Crushing the life from the believer
The comet lands and burns the earth
We've arrived, on this day, all is done
Placed our trust in the great deceiver
Oblivion's cold embrace is the worst
We've lost our way, and surrendered
We are a species once great
Never to be remembered
As the survivors are consumed
By the pestilence and decay
The end looms ahead, we are doomed
For then the living will envy the dead
The suffering is great and inexorable
The scientists enabled a dream
By allowing humans to ascend
Without wings, instead using fire
Below the globe seems so serene
We've created a message to send
Informing the galaxy of our desire
We will enter space, pursue exploration
By expanding our reach, finding hope
We avoid our intellectual stagnation
By contacting other species, we'll grow
Until such time, we must choose to fly
And by doing so we choose to be more
We know that the earth will die
Survival of our species burns in us
We are earth's desperate spawn
In our core a desire to reach the sky
To someday reach distant shores
We must leave this world
As it turns, we seek, we flee
Our planet goes on
Even should we arrive
Upon an alien surface
With no familiar sun
With no home planet
No golden dawn
I am made worthy
The purity of the view has great allure
No human could ever create such a thing
We are not equal to the artist, the architect
Creating his minions of reality and dream
Then creating time, nature and the universe
We stand, breathe and to the heavens sing
We cannot understand how one so perfect
Would choose to spend time with our being
For these many reasons and more, we worship
It's found in the depths of those who believe
For it is the sacred creator whom we seek
And return to him, never again to leave
My first love, my heart's home
You never let go of my being
Saving me from a life alone
You are beautiful, moving me
As time passes, my hair turns white
And my body moves with groans
But I still think of you
With each first thought of day
And with my last thought at night
We'll both enter forever together
You'll hold my hand, making it tight
Never let me go, keep me near
I long to be in your presence
There's nowhere I'd rather be
So hold me tight, be with me
Here, and forever
Drawing our hearts in the sand
They wash away with the tides
But hearts can be drawn and fade
Without any understanding
Of the way of love
For it is enough
Even as the years bring change
Our world can decay
But our love will still endure
Even if we do not
Because love is enough
Love is pure
Love has an eternal allure
And I refuse to let it end
Love is the sole message
I long for you, and always have
The citizens of the world aren't able to choose
And those giving them options aren't honest
We choose the easy path, one without wrath
Choosing asylum's walls, ignoring orphan's calls
Hunger exists and we are complicit
