~Holy smoke and dying embers~

A cathartic poem about the struggle between good and evil. What path should one choose.

If you are the dealer, I'm out of the game
If you are the healer, it means im broken and lame
If thine is the glory, then mine must be the shame
You want it darker

We kill the flame

Magnified, sanctified
By the holy name
Vilified, crucified
In the human frame

A million candles burning
For the help that never came

You want it darker

I'm ready, my Lord
There's a lover in the story
But the story's still the same
There's a lullaby for suffering
And a paradox to blame

But it's written in the scriptures
And it's not some idol claim

You want it darker
We kill the flame

They're lining up the prisoners
And the guards are taking aim
I struggle with some demons
They were middle class and tame
I didn't know I had permission
To murder and to maim

But lord
You want it darker
But we will light the flame

I'm ready, my Lord
Magnified, sanctified
By thy holy name
That's been
Vilified, crucified
In the human frame

A million candles burning
For the love that never came

You want it darker
We kill the flame

If you are the dealer, let me out of the game
If you are the healer, I'm broken and lame
If thine is the glory, mine must be the shame

But if you want it darker
Then we...
We kill the flame.

If you are the dealer, I'm out of the game
If you are the healer, it means im broken and lame
If thine is the glory, then mine must be the shame
You want it darker

We kill the flame

Magnified, sanctified
By the holy name
Vilified, crucified
In the human frame

A million candles burning
For the help that never came

You want it darker

I'm ready, my Lord
There's a lover in the story
But the story's still the same
There's a lullaby for suffering
And a paradox to blame

But it's written in the scriptures
And it's not some idol claim

You want it darker
We kill the flame

They're lining up the prisoners
And the guards are taking aim
I struggle with some demons
They were middle class and tame
I didn't know I had permission
To murder and to maim

But lord
You want it darker
But we will light the flame

I'm ready, my Lord
Magnified, sanctified
By thy holy name
That's been
Vilified, crucified
In the human frame

A million candles burning
For the love that never came

You want it darker
We kill the flame

If you are the dealer, let me out of the game
If you are the healer, I'm broken and lame
If thine is the glory, mine must be the shame

But if you want it darker
Then we...
We kill the flame.

Oh my Lord, please hear my plea
I'm lost and I'm in need
Of forgiveness for the wrong I've done
These weary hands need to be undone

Should I choose the Bible or the gun?
To find my way in this world on the run
Lord, I need your guiding light
To help me choose what's right

I'll purge my soul before I die
And meet my maker in the sky
My faith may falter, my heart may ache
But with your love, I know I'll make it through

Should I choose the Bible or the gun?
To find my way in this world on the run
Lord, I need your guiding light
To help me choose what's right

I curse this world for the pain it's caused
But I know your mercy is not lost
To the heathens who have come and gone
May they find peace and carry on

Should I choose the Bible or the gun?
To find my way in this world on the run
Lord, I need your guiding light
To help me choose what's right

Choose the Bible or the gun
Find survival on the run
I'll rely on the Lord above
To choose the Bible or the gun
Or the gun.

Filth hounds of Hades
A-howlin' with glee
Black sails unfurled on a fire sea
Scorpio risin' on two wheels of bone
The hoodoo priest, riding shotgun
Gonna tear up this road
Gonna smoke up this town
But now it's time for the Devil to come around

When the Devil rides out
Got the kiss of Death, on his flamin' lips
More horsepower than the Apocalypse
The host of Darkness r-rolling in his wake
Life that's yours is his to take
Gonna burn up this road
Take this town
Feel the rhythm, of the Underground
Have no misgivings
Be in no doubt
Y'all got it comin' when the Devil rides out

The smell is foul, and the sound's so grim
But the Devil's here, and he's ready to win
He's got a plan, and he's got a goal
To take your soul and make it his own
He'll ride through fire, he'll ride through pain
He'll ride through the darkness, and he'll ride through the rain
He's got no mercy, he's got no fear
When the Devil rides out, he'll make it clear

When the Devil rides out
Got the kiss of Death, on his flamin' lips
More horsepower than the Apocalypse
The host of Darkness r-rolling in his wake
Life that's yours is his to take
Gonna burn up this road
Take this town
Feel the rhythm, of the Underground
Have no misgivings
Be in no doubt
Y'all got it comin' when the Devil rides out

Farewell, my love
We'll reunite again
I'll rest among the angels
And wait for you till then

Realize, my dear
We'll meet beyond the sky
In the realm of heavens
Together we will fly

Oh, I hear them say
The angels are calling me back home
Goodnight, my love
Keep me in your heart
We'll never be apart

Take heed, sweet love
I'll watch you from above
With a guardian's eye
I'll keep you from all harm

Oh, I hear them say
The angels are calling me back home
Goodnight, my love
Keep me in your heart
We'll never be apart

When the trumpets sound
And the angels gather round
I'll be carried home
To where eternal love abounds

Oh, I hear them say
The angels are calling me back home
Goodnight, my love
Keep me in your heart
We'll never be alone

They're calling me back home
To where eternal love abounds

Sometimes I feel
Like I'm all alone
Lost in this world
Far away from home
And sometimes I feel
Like I'm almost gone
But I keep on moving
And I keep holding on

Who's got a shoulder when I need to cry?
I feel so restless, I don't know why
Cry for help, but still feel alone
Like a motherless child, so far from home

Lord, I'm searching for a place to belong
Dealing with the struggles, all day long
My soul is weary, but I wanna be strong
I try to run away, but I've been running too long

Who's got a shoulder when I need to cry?
I feel so restless, I don't know why
Cry for help, but still feel alone
Like a motherless child, so far from home

I've been running too long
From the pain, from the fear
But I know I can't keep on
Living with this despair

Who's got a shoulder when I need to cry?
I feel so restless, I don't know why
Cry for help, but still feel alone
Like a motherless child, so far from home

Whoa, like a motherless child
I need someone to guide me
Whoa, like a motherless child
To be there right beside me
Whoa, like a motherless child
I need love to find me
Whoa, like a motherless child
To heal my heart and remind me.

Oh Lord above, I humbly pray
Guide my soul on its way

Forgive me for the harm I've caused
And all the wrongs that I have wrought

On this battlefield, the call of war
I stand and fight, my heart is sore

But let me show mercy to those who fall
And release them to the ones they call

There's blood to spill, it calls to me
But let me heed your call, set them free

For death keeps calling, it's true
But I must answer to you

There's blood to spill, it calls to me
But let me heed your call, set them free

Oh Lord above, keep me strong
And guide me where I belong

For death keeps calling, it's true
But I must answer to you

There's blood to spill, it calls to me
But let me heed your call, set them free

The good Lord keeps calling, it's true
And I will answer to you

For death keeps calling, it's true
But I will answer to you.

They came and took me from my place
And locked me up in Dead Row's space
Of which I'm nearly wholly innocent, it's true
And I'll say it again, I'm not afraid to face the truth

My mind began to play its tricks
A cup, a mop, and Jesus in my mix
Those sinister meals they served each day
The trolley's wheels, an ominous display
A hooked bone rising from my food
All things either good or crude

And now the mercy seat is waiting
My head is burning, my heart's pulsating
In a way, I'm yearning
To end this endless measuring of proof and learning

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
They say, but I know I spoke the truth
And I'm not afraid to die

I interpret signs and catalogue
A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog
The walls are dark, the bottom kind
The sick breath gathers at my behind

I hear stories from the chamber
Of Christ who was born in a manger
And like some ragged stranger, died
But still, I'm not afraid to face the other side