in this land ruled by fools
all you can trust
is the inevitability of betrayal
smiles gleaming so bright
they distract you from the dagger
one hand on your shoulder
as the other grasps a blade
on this earth covered in dirt
there are none of us clean
all are tainted
by the anger
of expectations
crushed, replaced by pain
hope dissolved
into a mixture
of regret and defiance
in this world of hurt
we claw to the top
of a pile of each other
scrambling
for the last breath above
as the poison rises
from below
in this kingdom of danger
we must remain vigilant
one eye on your woman
and the other on your brother
waiting for the moment
when the beauty of truth
destroys all you ever held dear
death is all
that does not abandon.
release yourself
from the agony
of hope