Noise

There’s a crowd in my head and they never settle down, Whenever I try to speak, their voices choke out the sound. No comfort in the quiet, no mercy in the noise, Every thought another weapon, every sorrow another choice. Angels hum above the static, their resonance out of tune, I keep waiting for the silence, but my mind has no room. I beg my mind to give me peace, But every prayer just fuels the beast. Seeking quiet, one breath at a time, Each inhale burns, each exhale lies. Love me or leave me, you aren't me, Who gives 'til empty, 'til his essence bleeds. The choir drifts higher, the curtain starts to fray. I’m weightless, faceless, useless... Just GO AWAY! Shut up... Shut up... Shut up... SHUT UP! I didn’t choose this fire in my brain, Didn’t choose this torment and constant pain. Every cry, a plea for the voices to still, But the pounding never ceases... I bend to its will. It’s anger, it’s sorrow, it’s static, it’s grace, A thousand reflections and not one face. The radio changes, I’m losing the line, The signal decays, but it’s all still mine. Voices scatter, waging an endless fight, I beg for relief... My prayers denied. Shut up... Shut up... SHUT UP! The noise is the truth and the truth is my cage, Locked in a mind, turned into a stage. I scream until my throat turns to ash, Aching for this agony to pass. The ringing swells like mourning bells, Every note a memory of a pain I've felt. Then the choir sings soft... almost kind, A requiem for an unquiet mind. No rage now, a modicum of bliss, Tears flow, death is a wish. If calm’s a lie, let it lie to me, Just for a breath, pretend I’m free. But the quiet shifts, turns cruel, then cold, A succubus with teeth, taking control. The chaos may fade but never die, The devil hums a tune that’s only mine. I’ll wake tomorrow in the same sadistic sea, But for a moment... I remember me.