draw the shades and close my eyes I never want to see again
I’ve found the cost of coverage high and from you my love no reply
sometimes when I find it hard to pray
I hear the siren song you sing calling from your shores out to me
though I sell my soul in order to fly at the end of day your tether still remains
as all the finer things that you laid upon my table
smiled while their hooks were slowly sinking in
leaving me in solitary misery - in desolation with no seeming end
my only company is a pill that I’m to swallow to make me learn to feel again
and it’s followed by another one to make me loose the same

if only I could have recognized the things that made me whole
I would have drawn them into my lungs and not have forgotten how to breathe
for as your curtain rose and fell I slowly began to see
how your deception not only blinded my eyes but also suffocated the life from me
yet still I turned to you my love for any comfort that was there
and offered any cherished thing for a moment’s slight reprieve
I hoped that you might join me there and I could learn to smile again
with a balm from you that would soothe away the searing pain within my heart
a heartache I never thought that your love would bring

but in your arms healing and solace was never found
and the true love you professed never ever did abound
but for your mind, your body, your soul, yes I hungered still
none of which to me you ever gave with loving graciousness and good will
such a crafty performer you are, one of great depth and skill
you deserve an oscar, a membership in the screen actor’s guild
I know you found great pleasure in watching me crave
starving me of your sustenance as my footsteps quickened toward my grave
while swirls of desolation danced about within and ‘round my head
you turned to me in contempt and gave to strangers what was mine to be fed
declaring in vindication that the me that lived in you was dead

with my spirit crushed and dismayed, I became utterly and completely crazed
in my madness I ranted and in my madness I raged
my nerves tautened and frazzled, my coal black hair grayed
helplessly paralyzed, I found myself absolutely unable to disengage
and through it all your siren’s song continued on and played
constantly assaulting my senses, draining me of all of my defenses
until there was no more of me left, no more energy to give
nothing more of me to siphon, so that you may simply - live
then you took your song away and set your sights on much fresher prey
but in my soul your song echoes and roars like thunder anyway
with shockwaves that leave me prostrate without even strength to say
my lord, my god, hear my call and keep the siren at bay
only silent utterances were made to my god that day
please grant my supplication and let the strains of the siren’s song
gently fade away

-Quivale R Roberts