The Choice

It's not about love, not about hate. It's the promise of two that one can negate. It's not about dark, not about light It is about peace found after a fight. It's not about courage, nor about fear It's less about far and more about near. It's heavy as stone and light as feather Not growing as one but growing together. It's about protecting our own, each other's child, It's giving up choice about being tame or wild. It's not about whether I'm ready or not It's not about ceremony or giving a shot At happy, and sad and nightmares and dreams It's less than everything but more than it seems Family is forever, even if you leave So protect those to whom you cleave. Love boundless and wild and free Loving others is more than just loving me. Make me believe the impossible’s real To forget this pain ever was real. Show me a future that's full and bright Where even the shadows are full of light. When all is lost, when abandoned and dying Show me hope in your eyes unlying. Deathless be love, even if pain Arouses weakness to leave me again. Strength is in weakness, so offer your hand To make this, my heart's bastion, last stand. When I'm lost, fend off damnation When I'm found, be thou salvation. Ask of me less, inspire me to be more Forgive me my failings, yet lead me to shore When drowning at sea and surrounded by sharks, Aim not to kill, but never miss your marks. So ask, if you dare, to walk the path imperiled And collar my finger with gold unsterile’d. Take no water along to the desert you cross Nor provisions to the wasteland, nor your loss... Sacrifices dear that cannot be undone. The desires you seek, after which you run Are mirages, rainbows, uncaught, unsung, And I'm not who you think you see. I'm not noble, no hero, just me. The answer you seek may be your greatest loss So carefully weigh your life's cost. What am I worth broken, or worse, ag’in thee? Is your life still better with bitter in me? If me at my worst beats not you at your best, And temptation’s lures no longer test Your wishes for a life of love and and content If owning swamp beats the penthouse’s rent If joining to me means losing your breath If loving me staves off soul-death And only when you've nothing left to lose nor gain If honoring me keeps you yet sane When the disease without cure has beaten you back, You cannot retreat, take cover, nor attack When asking has been aching heavy on your soul And you see mine, too, has been betrayed and you know The answer is yes, then is plain to see Then, only then, may you kneel and ask me.