And I danced with Death

I sat alone, as always, In the dark,
Heedless of it's horrors, heedless of it's dangers,
Alone, Bereft of love, stripped of aim,
Isolated, by choice, Jousting kind word with caustic remark,
Destroying all near me, Turning my friends into strangers,
I lay inside myself, alone, alone with just me and pain.

And from the dark came a man, both malevolent and kind,
He stood by my side and bid me rise,
With arms outstretched we began to dance,
And I slipped from my pain into a beauty-made trance,
I nodded to music I could not hear,
At his touch I was strong, stripped of all fear.

And then His hood did drop, revealing a fine skull,
"Come with me, come down to the depths,
No need to fear the dark, no need to fear fire,
For you we do nothing but taunt you with desires,
Now come and die your final death,
Let go of pain and fear, never again be lost, with nothing to do but mull."

"Forgive me sir, for I must abscond,
Though your offer I find tempting,
This life I find myself not so hating,
For with a woman I share a special bond,
Though she, in not loving me, does not know to this bond how to respond,
But it is for this very love that I lie here awaiting"

He took my hand and did look at me fierce,
"This love you follow is but a farce,
In the end it will be nothing but more pain,
She will never love you, and that shall your heart pierce,
For what do you hope by trying for mortal gain?
Here now be a blade, cut out your most precious vein."

"I am most sorry sir, however I must admit,
That her loving me is certainly not a sure hit,
But I have to try with all I have to her get,
What you think me a man not inspired?
Get ye gone, for no reason are you required,
come back far hence when from this life I have retired!"

And with that last firey remark the spectre did vanish,
And sit upon my rock did I, Staring into waters most brackish,
Dreaming up pictures of my most fair maiden,
Safe once more in my own personal haven.