Thursday, February 11, 2016

Pride and Glory

Pride and Glory


I have failed before, and I will fail again
Because I know, (Well, I came to know)
First by denial, then by utter reluctance;
Ultimately by strike of rude awakening:
It was a wretched scream without a voice:
Beseeching me to open my arms wide
Only to accept me; just to accept myself
Which I continue to fail...

To make a world understand who I am
Help them witness the treasure I possess
Through the beauty of my works of art
Relish what lies beneath the mask I wear
In return gives me strength to stand firm,
Gives me courage to hold my head high
That's the ultimate source of my pride.

After a long hiatus, through the windows
I see that my bygone glory has got faded,
They label me as a washed-up celebrity -
A comic book character wearing a mask,
Who is now old and has a bleating voice
With a family that he's no longer part of.

I sit with my head slumped in my hands,
"You are old, man. You're a crippled goat!
Smelling stench in this squalid little room,
Listen to me. It's over. You're screwed up.
You are no artist; you are a coward, man!
Get into that suit; get back what we've lost."
I lose control; fury and rage overpowers me
I am disappearing, vanishing into thin air.
"You are fake, an imposter. They will know."
Stop it! Please let me be. There is no "we"
Shut up! Argh! Get out of my freaking head!
Out of intense frustration, I pull my hair,
And bang my head hard against the mirror
Helpless and exhausted, I finally surrender.
"It's always 'we', man! Wherever you are."

*    *    *

All set to make a comeback in this time
With brave and bold new ideas of my own
I am embarking on a whole new journey
To achieve the goals painted my dreams
But I hear is sardonic laughs around me
They question the credibility of my talent
It makes the sorrow thrive without mercy
Burdening my heart which it cannot bear

The loneliness haunts me when it says...
"Wake up you miserable, bleating old goat!
How did we end up in this filthy cesspool?
You do not deserve this kind of aggravation.
Remember what you are, where you belong,
Wait until you see the faces of those who
Thought you were an old washed-up artist.
You tower over this jaw dropping greatness;
You are larger than life, man. You are a God
Saving people from their boring little lives!
Let us go back one more time to show them
What we're capable of with a grand overture
And the very next time you bleat..."

Echoes of my long lived dreams resonate
A hard hitting reality of my own manifests
With a snap of my fingers the show begins
A missile strikes, explosion across the street,
A dreadful monster circling above screeches
I take a big leap to fight that dreaded beast
Firing powerful laser beams through my fists
"This is what you are, where you belong."
A joyful smile fills my face with pride.

*    *    *

"This is it, man. The final act. Get out there;
Give it to them you mighty wrinkly goat.
Show them what you've got for the last time
And earn back what you always wanted,
What you alone deserved - pride and glory.
You are destined to soar above all of them.
Together we're unstoppable - a global force.
You're the best there is, the best there was,
And the best there ever will be!"

I win millions of hearts after the final act.
Next dawn, I sit on my bed, an encore begins;
I go to the window and gaze towards the sky,
Admiring its natural beauty I take the big leap
And they see me flying high up in the heavens.

For Birdman

Feb 09, 2016 

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