Re-Writes..."Life"

"where misery and suffering pair
i walk alone, though in despair
through bitter wings and frosty air
and emotions hard to bear

my way unsure, the road unpaved
my heart is black, and dark in caves
my spirit's drowned in storm-tossed waves
my soul is lost and can't be saved

and yet i press on through the night
in the darkness, searching for light
while i cope with internal fight
to choose a path, if wrong or right

i cry alone in floods of rain
my clothes are soaked, my teardrops stain
i struggle trying to maintain
since nothing seems to heal this pain

and end my plight and make me whole
yet i accept my chosen role
so rescuing my tortured soul
seems pointless as a realized goal

because this word that fills my heart
is starting to tear me apart
if life's a stage, i'll play my part
alone since birth, cursed from the start

isolated on city streets
the only sounds, silence, heartbeats
i stay the course despite defeat
when friendships fade, love's bittersweet

since my emotions make it rife
to question the meaning of life
all these burdens cut like a knife
in this world of conflict and strife"

10-21-00