A Breath Held and Lost
A Breath Held and Lost (Poem)
True freedom, you see,
Starts not with a dream,
But after it’s tossed to the wind.
Unless you let go,
That dream will then grow
Til under its weight you’ll be pinned;
You’ll feel sad; you’ll feel crushed,
Like your voice has been hushed.
Your talents, unseen and unheard…
Let me spare you the pain
Of a hopeful heart, slain;
Allow me to focus what’s blurred:
Become me instead
Join the Corporate Undead
And work til you drop for a dime;
It may not be fun…
But when you’re all done
The money you made can buy time.
You’ll be older, but free
To finally see
These things I have taught you are right;
I’d prove this to you
But my days have grown few
And I don’t think I’ll last through the night.
- A. J. Darkholme (October 2016)
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A Breath Held and Lost (Lyrics)
[Verse 1]
True freedom, you see
Starts not with a dream
But after it’s tossed to the wind
Unless you let go, it’ll bury you slow
Pulling all that you know
To a void straight down below
That forms when you trade
All the dreams that you made
For a spot in the shade
A place where the silence and screens wait aglow…
[Chorus]
Join the Corporate Undead!
A place where you dream in your head
Of where you are not
When all that you got
Are the things that you bought
With the time you gave up
To drink deep from a cup
Of soulless, obsequious thought
[Verse 2]
You'll pull up your chair
To a desk of despair
You'll sit in the silence and stare at the screens
You'll forget who you are
Your dreams once-near, now far
Surrounded by sycophants and hollow machines
[Bridge]
I once had a fire; I once had a name
But the system was hungry and stamped out the flame
Now I’m watching the clock as my hands disappear
And I'm losing control of the things I held dear
I'm surrounded by peers
Who make their home here
While they stare in the rear-view
Yet continue to steer
Down the lame roads ahead
Alarms, clocks, and dread
Now I whisper this warning for anyone near
[Second Bridge]
A dream's a balloon
It'll take you over the moon
But if you let it be over too soon
Trading life for a tomb
You'll be crushed by the fall
And your voice hushed as you stall
Falling far short of all
That you're meant to be
Don't be me. Set yourself free
Of the chains that keep you on your knees!
[Chorus]
Join the Corporate Undead!
A place where you dream in your head
Of where you are not
When all that you got
Are the things that you bought
With the time you gave up
To drink deep from a cup
Of soulless, obsequious thought
[Breakdown]
Make your money
Trade your time
A paradigm that only blinds
Destiny's eyes
When you look to the skies
And find
All that you left behind
Has been replaced by a dime
[Outro]
You could buy back your soul when you’re old
But by then you'll be all out of gold