The original version of —ONYX— has been published in All of Me Vol. V, courtesy of Shadow Spark Publishing. Featured art is by Kavan Cardoza.

Listen to —ONYX— by Richard Charles Stevens (Muffin Purper-Gurk Suite)

Listen to Muffin Purper-Gurk by Electric Callboy

(Break my chains like tidal waves)
.
Here within the valley of the shadow of death
Fears are open cavities
Ill thoughts my shallow breaths
My cuirass is cleft by the blades of self-loathing
My head it feels light
I can feel myself floating
.
Drifting through black mist that grips my grey lung
Down to last wish that the daylight will come
Feel like the race has already been run
Yet still I feel the whispers of foreboding
.
Come inside
Their goading cries
Corroded odes of no hope prized
Slow poke of a fractured psyche
Choking my throat captive nightly
Callous ridden
Most unsightly
Cuticles backed up and grimy
Spiny fingers dressed to linger
Only woe left to betide me
.
Serpents coiled up deep inside me
All the while I feel them writhing
Peeking doleful through the blinders
Gloating of no known survivors
.
Serpents coiled up deep inside me
All the while I feel them writhing
Peeking doleful through the blinders
Gloating of no known survivors
(Break my chains like)
(Break my chains like)
(Break my chains like tidal waves)
.
Here within the valley of the shadow of death
Fears are open cavities
Ill thoughts my shallow breaths
My cuirass is cleft by the blades of self-loathing
My head it feels light
I can feel myself floating
.
Drifting through black mist that grips my grey lung
Down to last wish that the daylight will come
Here within the valley of the shadow of death
No rod or staff need comfort me
For midway through my umpteenth bleed
.
(Break my chains like)
(Break my chains like)
(Break my chains like)
.
(Break my chains like)
(Break my chains like)
(Break my chains like tidal waves)
.
My misery has company
Every tear wept sullenly
Encourages less slovenly demise
And life
For all its nullity
Still finds the time to summon me from long surviving drudgery alive
(Break my chains like tidal waves)
.
Fingers me
Then lingers
Not to hinder me
But seek release
Of every single piece of me
That sickens me to quicken me to stricken
Unforgiven of my industry for living
With ambition to commission each imprisoned apparition in the pits that has it in for me
Permitting them to sing for me
.
(Break my chains like tidal waves)
Sing for me
(Break my chains like tidal waves)
Sing for me
(Break my chains like tidal waves)
.
Serpents coiled up deep inside me
All the while I feel them writhing
Peeking doleful through the blinders
Gloating of no known survivors
.
Serpents coiled up deep inside me
All the while I feel them writhing
Peeking doleful through the blinders
Gloating of no known survivors
(Break my chains like tidal waves)
.
I have died in many ways
Been maligned on many days
Bled so very many tales
From so very many veins
Felt incendiary blaze
Fanned a devil of a flame
To fame the heavenly domain
Where I evade pre-dated fate
And here await
To reacquaint the dead of night to ever nigh reprise of day
.
Whatever lies ahead
Delight is sped
By wider spread of light
To never quite resign to my decay
.
Whichever side of night I stray
Shall never sever ties to shade
For every tether twined in braid
Reminds me of a wider aim
The height attained
By rising slain
To ride astride the skies again
Hold tight confineless bridle reins
And break my chains like tidal waves
.
Break my chains like tidal waves
Break my chains like tidal waves
(Break my chains like)
(Break my chains like)
Break my chains like tidal waves
(Break my chains like)
(Break my chains like)
Break my chains like tidal waves
.

Richard Charles Stevens

Keeper of The Crimson Quill

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