Darkness

A black raven's nest upon my head,

Weathered leather rests upon my back.

Red fingernails shifting gears.

Long lashes fighting back the tears.

Moving in circles, town to town, not sure of what's ahead.

My mind is filled with thoughts of you, recalling all the years.

My motorcycle kicks up dust.

I'm done with love, I'm done with trust.

To Hell and back, I ride at night,

Provoking Darkness into light.

Further and further I'm making tracks.

Not looking forward, never turning back.

I'm living bar stool to bar stool.

Keeping my distance, staying cool.

Riding hard, living fast.

Burning bridges, burning gas.

Riding in this haze at night,

I'm filled with vengeance that has no fright.

It's only daylight hours I do squander.

With lonely souls I sometimes wander.

Searching for you,

I stop to ponder; crying out your name.

I move at night within the shadows,

Wind and rain, they wear me down.

Burning miles, burning ground.

None of this really matters though;

How hard I ride or how far I go.

After all these miles, wouldn't you know.

I must pay my dues, I must pay the toll.

For Darkness, he has finally found me.

He's not subtle, he moves right in and settles in beside me.

He wraps his filthy arms around me,

And whispers madly in my ear.

But I won't let him guide me.

Nothing at all seems real now.

This fog so thick it blinds me.

Minutes seem like hours, hours seem like days.

He tortures me with naughty thoughts, luring me astray.

Tempting promises of pleasure tease me.

His tales are meant to please me.

My eyes now opened widely.

My body is peaked somehow,

And within seconds I am his.

People now will crowd around me.

Watching him abuse my body.

But all they really see is me.

No one wants to touch me, no one comes to help me.

My body jerking on the floor.

Gasping for air, I can't breathe no more.

Darkness made his way right in.

And smothered the life that was inside me.

Wrong from right; I know no more.

My mind still settling up our score.

Once haunting me, now haunting you.

Darkness takes my hand and we head on out to find you.

Same small towns, same twisted roads.

Dusty bottles and broken bones.

Jukebox spinning Misery's memories.

Skeletons lying all about.

Tobacco rings dance in the air,

And whiskey laughter is all you hear.

I smell your scent right through the walls.

I smile and Darkness knows I found you.

The wind comes whipping through the doors.

The lights in town do flicker.

Then Darkness follows me inside.

And the air could not get thicker.

Unknowingly, you turn your head towards the commotion by the door.

You recognize my silhouette,

And place your feet upon the floor.

And in within a moment's time I'm standing there beside you.

The music stops abruptly, the bar room empties out.

The skeletons that laid so lazily now scatter all about.

No turning back to you I say.

You knew that we would have this day.

With one swift stroke I settled our score.

I've taken down the man that I deplore.

And now our wretched past is far behind me.

My laughter fills the empty room,

It echoes like a lion's roar.

With maniacal eyes and an evil grin,

I watch you slither to the ground.

You knew eventually you'd be found.

But did you ever think that I would win?

The jukebox comes blaring to back life.

The skeletons come dancing through the door.

Darkness feels me fading fast,

For years of misery now has drained me.

Darkness carries me through the door.

It's his mercy I do implore.

Your haunting memories I'll have no more.

Darkness places me upon my bike and takes the seat behind me.

The engine revs, steel starts to heat, the bike shifting into gears.

Together we leave this world behind me.